Timothy Weah has turned down an offer from Nottingham Forest, resisting pressure from Juventus, who had hoped to offload the 25-year-old this summer.
Weah’s agent, Badou Sambague, didn’t hold back in his response, accusing the Italian club of prioritizing profit over player welfare and attempting to force his client out. The versatile United States international was reportedly part of a proposed £19.5m double deal involving his Juventus teammate Samuel Mbangula.
Nottingham Forest made a formal approach for both players, hoping to bolster their ranks ahead of the new Premier League season. However, Softfootball gathered that Weah rejected the Nottingham’s offer and this has complicated Juventus’ financial maneuvering.
In the wake of the transfer drama, both Weah and Mbangula were noticeably absent from Igor Tudor’s squad in the 5-2 Club World Cup defeat to Manchester City. That omission only added fuel to the fire, prompting Sambague to publicly condemn Juventus via a statement shared by Fabrizio Romano:
“Weah is a fantastic player and fantastic teammate. To see people acting like this for money and because they are selfish disappointed me a lot. This is a shame… Until I’m here, nobody will push one of the players I advise to go on the right or on the left like a marionnette. I am happy that Timo has a top education and a top personality to stay focused on the game.”
Despite making 43 appearances for Juventus last season — including five goals and three assists in Serie A, his best season statistically — Weah now finds himself in limbo.
Juventus are eager to sell in order to comply with financial regulations and reinvest in their squad, much like their dealings last summer when they sold players to Aston Villa to finance the signing of Douglas Luiz.
As highlighted in an earlier Softfootball report, Napoli are open to selling Victor Osimhen to a Premier League side, with Liverpool among the preferred options. However, the striker is reportedly pushing for a move to Juventus.
With his €75m release clause valid only for foreign clubs, Juve will need to negotiate directly with Napoli. Osimhen is said to be more aligned with Juventus’ sporting vision than that of Liverpool or Manchester United.