Matija Popovic remains in Italy waiting for the next instructions from his entourage, while the negotiations with AC Milan remain on stand-by.
As Calciomercato.com report, Popovic’s future could be in Serie A. The Serbian forward is without a club after his contract with Partizan Belgrade expired and he is still in Milano waiting to find a new team.
He was close to joining Milan though the negotiations are stalled at the moment, Juventus also thought about it, having met the teenager’s entourage in recent days, but now there is another team in the running.
The report cites Sky who claim that Napoli are very attentive to Popovic’s situation and are pushing to make the deal a reality. It is a move aimed at anticipating the competition from other clubs from abroad, above all Bayern Munich and Porto.
Popovic’s agents have offered their client to Inter as well so there could be domestic competition to overcome, while Napoli have no non-EU slots available which is a hurdle too.
That is why they are evaluating an operation in synergy with another club, namely Frosinone, whereby they could send Popovic there until the end of the season and then welcome him in the summer. It is not too dissimilar to the idea Milan had involving Monza.
This guy’s agents are managing to turn off other clubs too. Won’t be surprise if other teams start declaring no interest despite him being unattached.
The truth is I’d rather we pay a team for a transfer then be held at the mercy of unreasonable demands from unscrupulous agents. Sure you have to deal with agents either way, but in this case it’s so much worse.
It’s funny they think they have all the power in these negotiations but they have forgotten 1 big flaw in their plan
It is January, not summer, so the window is short and we are already half way.
So if they continue to ask for ridiculous demands the clubs can just sit and wait. He has not played competitively since last season and if they mess around it will be summer before he finds a club – making it a full season without football, which for a developing player of 17-18 is extremely problematic
It went from Man City trying to hijack his agreement with Milan to him being pimped out to every club in serie A while waiting in a hotel.
Exactly! Were City even interested or did his agents put out that story?
Nobody likes to look a fool in negotiations, so once a club like Milan pull the plug, many others will follow suit
From Milan, Juventus, City to Frosinone lol…
I’m sure that if Milan took Popovic, he would certainly do everything to leave Milan free of contract at the end of the contract. He proves a nasty character considering how ungrateful he is to the club that raised him, Partizan Belgrade. He could sign a professional contract with them with a clause of 3-5 million euros. In this way, the club that raised and trained him as a footballer also gain something. He seems to me a greedy and unscrupulous and ungrateful guy.
I think your spot on.
Prioritise football then worry about the money
I’ll give him the benefit of doubt because he’s a child but his agents/adults are the ones who should feel shame. But everything about this player screams stay away and unfortunately unless he finds new adults to guide him his future in football seems short
I wonder if the camorra can sort things out with the criminals that control Popovic.
sign then loan him (with reasonable fee of course) if he as good as they said it’ll be easy to find serie b/c clubs to loan-out, but most important thing is let Z to speak with him & his entourage 1st to teach them what is football about