“Thank God I return home and with my team-mates we will try to win everything,” the fast Colombian winger tweeted late Wednesday, welcoming the chance of a second season with the Bianconeri after Chelsea kept him sidelined in the first three games of the Premier League season.
The Old Lady came close to buying Belgian midfield talent Axel Witsel from Zenit Saint Petersburg for about 20 million euros (22.3 million dollars), but the Russian side pulled back as they failed to find a valid substitute before the market closed at 11 pm (2100 GMT).
Witsel, who was said to have already passed his medical in Turin, could now join Juve in January, or arrive as a free agent in July.
Despite missing the late deal, the Bianconeri reportedly spent 210 million euros between June and August.
They began with the snatching of Bosnia playmaker Miralem Pjanic for 32 million euros from Roma, while Alvaro Morata transferred to home club Real Madrid for two fewer million euros.
Argentina ace Gonzalo Higuain then arrived from Napoli for 90 million euros, an Italian league record offset by selling Frenchman Paul Pogba to Manchester United at 110 million euros in the highest ever transfer fee in football.
Other newcomers in Turin were Dani Alves, a free agent from Barcelona, Mehdi Benatia on loan from Bayern Munich and Marko Pjaca, a young winger signed for 23 millions euros from Croatia club Dinamo Zagreb.
Inter Milan, who under new Dutch coach Frank de Boer are already five points behind Juve after two games, also had a brisk market.
They signed last week midfielder Joao Mario from Sporting Lisbon and Brazilian rising striker Gabriel Barbosa Almeida, known as Gabigol, from Santos for 29 million euros.
The Nerazzurri’s new Chinese owners Suning Commerce Group had earlier signed Antonio Candreva from Lazio (22 million euros), Ever Banega from Sevilla, Cristian Ansaldi from Genoa and Besiktas’ Caner Erkin.
Torino, meanwhile, clinched an advantageous loan deal by welcoming England goalkeeper Joe Hart. The 29-year-old preferred to leave Manchester City rather than man the bench under new boss Pep Guardiola – and the English club agreed to pay more than half of his 4-million-euro annual pay.
Bidding farewell to Torino was Brazilian winger Bruno Peres, now at Roma with compatriots Juan Jesus (Inter), Gerson da Silva (Fluminense) and international goalkeeper Alisson Becker (Internacional).
Other Giallorossi signings were Thomas Vermaelen (Barcellona), Mario Rui (Empoli) and Federico Fazio (Tottenham).
A late Wednesday exchange saw Serb defender Nikola Maksimovic move to Napoli from Torino, who welcomed midfielder Mirko Valdifiori.
The Naples side used the sum from Higuain’s sale to sign Polish striker Arkadiusz Milik from Ajax, at 32 million euros, Emanuele Giaccherini (Sunderland), Piotr Zielinski (Udinese), Amadou Diawara (Bologna) and Marko Rog (Dinamo Zagreb).
The late signing of Chile’s Matias Fernandez, on loan from Fiorentina, closed a mediocre market for AC Milan, who try to end a glum period as Chinese investors led by Sino-Europe Sports are gradually taking control.
Previous deals, totalling about 25 million euros, brought at the Rossoneri Gianluca Lapadula, last season’s Serie B top scorer with promoted Pescara, Leonel Vangioni (River Plate), Gustavo Gomez (Lanus), Jose Sosa (Besiktas), Mario Pasalic (Chelsea).
Leaving Milan after an uneventful season on loan from Liverpool was unruly striker Mario Balotelli, moving to French side Nice as a free agent.
Other departing Rossoneri were Jeremy Menez (Bordeaux), Kevin-Prince Boateng (Las Palmas) Jose Mauri (Empoli), while veterans Philippe Mexes, Brazilian Alex and goalkeeper Christian Abbiati ended their contracts.
Source: GNA/News Ghana
