The Dutch midfielder, accompanied by his agent, made a sudden move hours before the friendly match in Hamburg. He is determined to join Juventus at all costs.
He was absent from the flight this morning from Orio al Serio Airport alongside his teammates, who were scheduled to travel to Hamburg for their final pre-season friendly against St Pauli. The match is part of their preparation for the upcoming European Super Cup against Real Madrid on August 14th in Warsaw.
According to his agent, Bart Baving, who recently visited Italy, the midfielder presented Atalanta with a medical certificate citing health reasons (stress-related) as the reason for his absence. He has not trained with the team since.
This situation echoes a similar incident in 2004 when Brazilian midfielder Emerson presented Roma with a medical certificate claiming depression to avoid training and later joined Fabio Capello at Juventus.
The midfielder, who previously played for AZ Alkmaar, has expressed his strong desire to join Juventus and has reportedly reached an agreement with the club. However, Juventus have not yet made an offer that meets his estimated value of 60 million euros.