The 19-year-old striker is now in negotiations with the Turin club for next season
Santos starlet Kaio Jorge has refused a contract proposal from Benfica and is now in advanced negotiations with Juventus to join the Italian outfit in January 2022, Goal can confirm.
After Santos had accepted a transfer proposal from Benfica for the 19-year-old attacker, he personally rebuffed the approach with his mind dead set on Serie A.
Juventus will now evaluate whether they will try to sign Kaio Jorge from Santos with immediate effect this summer through a €1-2 million offer, or if they should wait to acquire him on a free in January.
How will the deal work?
Kaio Jorge can negotiate directly with interested parties, as there are less than six months left for the end of his contract, which runs until December. He is managed by Giuliano Bertolucci, who has been talking to Italian clubs.
Benfica’s offer was direct to Santos, but because the player didn’t agree to it, the deal could not go through.
If Kaio Jorge does transfer in January to Juventus, he would leave for free and Santos would not receive anything.
However, if there are talks for an immediate release in the August international transfer window, Santos would have to receive financial compensation.
NXGN background
Kaio Jorge was first mentioned by Goal‘s NXGN series covering the world’s best prospects in March 2020, and he made the NXGN 2021 top-50 list this year, ranking as the 18th-best wonderkid.
Because Santos allowed his contract to run almost all the way down, they are unable to cash in on his hype through the transfer market in any substantial way.