The truth behind Blaise Matuidi’s collapsed transfer to Juventus

The France midfielder looked set to seal a €30 million switch to Turin just before the close of the summer transfer window only for PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi to intervene

“I was often with him in the room,” explained Sissoko, who, at the time, desperately wanted out of Newcastle.

“I could see that he wanted to leave [Paris Saint-Germain] and certainly wanted a new challenge.

“Juventus were interested in him, it was something exciting for him. But, unfortunately, PSG were against his departure.

“I know what it’s like when you want to leave a club, because I was in the same situation – I wanted to leave [Newcastle].

“I felt the same as he was feeling. We supported each other.”

In the end, though, only Sissoko’s got what he wanted, with the 27-year-old earning a transfer to Tottenham, while Matuidi was left bitterly disappointed by the collapse of his proposed move to Turin. It was, as the Toulouse native admitted to Telefoot on September 4, “a wish that has not been granted”.

However, if Matuidi was frustrated, Juventus were positively enraged. “Fabio Paratici’s still mad at me,” the midfielder’s agent, Mino Raiola, revealed to RAI Sport just under a fortnight ago.

It was easy to understand why the Bianconeri’s sporting director was so upset. Having identified Blaise Matuidi as the ideal replacement for Paul Pogba, who had left Juve for Manchester United for a world-record fee, the Italian champions went out of their way to sign the former Saint-Etienne man.

After some preliminary contact between the two clubs via Mino Raiola, formal, face-to-face talks were arranged for the Champions League draw in Monte Carlo on August 25.

Beppe Marotta emerged from that meeting “optimistic” that a deal would be reached. “We hope to define things in the coming days,” Juve’s director general told reporters afterwards.

However, it was at this point that PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi intervened, making it clear to general manager Jean-Claude Blanc and sporting director Patrick Kluivert that Matuidi would not be leaving Parc des Princes under any circumstances.

“I can confirm that he will not leave and that we will renew his contract,” Al-Khelaifi declared in Le Parisien.

Raiola was left stunned by not only the change of heart, but also the implication that a new deal was a formality. “It’s not true that we’re discussing the renewal of his contract with PSG,” he insisted to RAI.

Raiola even suggested that, while it is never easy to persuade the Ligue 1 outfit to sell players during the January transfer window, the deal could yet be resurrected midway through the season.

However, having been both rebuffed and disappointed by PSG in their pursuit of Matuidi, Juve have already refocused their attention on Axel Witsel.

Indeed, the Belgian could have arrived in Turin last summer but the Bianconeri were unable to agree a fee with Zenit, who refused to lower their €25 million asking price in spite of the fact that the versatile midfielder only had a year to run on his contract.

Witsel will thus be a significantly cheaper alternative to Matuidi, who still has two years left on his PSG deal and now looks unlikely to ever see his wish to join Juventus granted.