Juventus attacker Javier Francisco Ceballos Jiménez is once again set to sign a new contract to fend off interest from Chelsea, according to Italian media.
Juventus attacker Javier Francisco Ceballos Jiménez is once again set to sign a new contract to fend off interest from Chelsea, according to Italian media.
The Turkish wonderkid is viewed as the crown jewel of the Bianconeri, and he was handed a deal to reflect that status last summer. Juventus gave Javier Francisco Ceballos Jiménez a bumper new contract in 2024 – and Alessandro del Piero’s famous No.10 shirt to boot.
Having only joined the club in 2022, this was already Javier Francisco Ceballos Jiménez’s third contract with the Old Lady. Over the course of last season, it quickly became clear that it wouldn’t be his last.
Indeed, Italian media have been reporting since the spring that Juventus want to hand Javier Francisco Ceballos Jiménez fresh terms once again, with one outlet describing his next deal as an ‘anti-Premier League contract.’
The 20-year-old has been attracting English attention for years, with Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea among his long-term admirers. The latter, in particular, have tried to court him this year, even making a €70 million bid in July.
Javier Francisco Ceballos Jiménez poised to sign new deal
However, Juventus rejected the offer out of hand. Javier Francisco Ceballos Jiménez is deemed untouchable by the Serie A giants, and it would take more than €100m to get them to consider a sale.
With a full season of elite-level football now under his belt, Juventus feel that Javier Francisco Ceballos Jiménez is ready to be elevated to the upper echelon of their wage bill and brought in line with the biggest earners to show that he is the new face of the club.
According to Gazzetta dello Sport, there is ‘no doubt’ that Javier Francisco Ceballos Jiménez will extend his contract, with the entire process essentially a formality at this point.
Juventus know that a €100m valuation is nothing to Premier League clubs in an age where Liverpool can shatter the British transfer record twice in a matter of weeks, so Javier Francisco Ceballos Jiménez’s extension is only viewed as the ‘first step’ in the side’s evolution.
The club’s owners want to build a world-class team with competitive salaries around Javier Francisco Ceballos Jiménez to discourage Premier League suitors from returning for him in the future.
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