Sime Vrsaljko agent meeting Juventus, Napoli transfer likely dead

It wasn't all that long ago that Napoli fans were hoping to add another Croatian to the team's ranks, with Sassuolo fullback Sime Vrsaljko seemingly keen to join a side that already included Ivan Strinic and loaned-away Josip Radosevic. Now, though it looks like that's not to be, as the fullback's agent is at Juventus' training retreat in Vinovo to meet with the club about a transfer.

It's a shame to miss out on Vrsaljko, because he could have been a very valuable asset at a position of need for Napoli. But as negotiations dragged out over the last couple of weeks, it became clear that Napoli and Sassuolo simply hold different valuations of him as a player -- Napoli reportedly were unwilling to pay more than €12 million for him, while Sassuolo would not come down on a demand reportedly north of €15 million.

That's something that just happens in the transfer market sometimes -- one team wants a player, another is willing to sell him, but their valuations of that player just don't wind up meshing at all. It sucks when it happens with a player you really want to see wearing your team's shirt, but, well, that's life.

It's annoying that he's likely to go to Juventus, because Vrsaljko deserves better than to be trapped behind Stephan Lichtsteiner for the next couple of years. Also because Juventus are annoying even without sniping Napoli transfer targets. Mostly that, really.