Nico Gonzalez, Atalanta calls Juventus: they choose Lookman. And Saudi Arabia waits.

TURIN – Caught in the middle of a transfer market as ruthless as it is inscrutable. Juventus kicked him out weeks ago, assigning him a role that—ironicly—is a perfect match for his technical abilities. This time, however, it won't be a matter of disrupting the opposition's defense with a dribble or a move, but rather unlocking the Bianconeri's transfer window. Without the sale of Nico Gonzalez , director general Comolli won't be able to make a definitive move for Jadon Sancho . And so far, nothing would be too strange, if only the former Viola player's fate didn't depend on that of another outgoing prospect: Ademola Lookman .

The Nigerian is one of the brightest stars of our football transfer market. A successful artist who has sparked interest from Europe's most prestigious galleries, all ready to go crazy to secure his work. Among these are Christian Chivu's Inter Milan , the most likely—the Nerazzurri have already reached an agreement with the player—as well as Cholo Simeone's Atletico Madrid . Yes, but what does Nico have to do with all this? Simple: whoever loses the race for Lookman will go all-in on him, including Atalanta. In fact, Atalanta have initiated initial contact with Juventus, seeing the Argentine as the perfect replacement for their number 11, whom they had already sought—among other things—last summer before he chose to move to Turin. A transfer market intrigue that's no laughing matter, with Nico now looking like the perfect fallback.

Juve, delighted to see his marketability, takes note, hoping to sell him to the highest bidder. The Argentine, however, can do nothing but wait, like the protagonist of "Stranger Than Fiction," Harold Crick, constantly at the mercy of an outside voice dictating the pace of his existence. The pen is in the hands of others, so it's best to be ready... Besides, his adventure at Juve now appears to be coming to an end: remaining in Turin would mean risking a season as a supporting actor. Not exactly the best scenario, given that the World Cup in the United States is taking place this summer. It's a match Nico hopes to play for with his Argentina national team, but he'll have to show up prepared and confident, or he'll be excluded from coach Scaloni's list. The Bianconeri paid €33 million to snatch him from Fiorentina, and—more or less—are confident they can sell him for the same amount, thus avoiding the possibility of a capital loss.

While no official offers have yet arrived from the aforementioned clubs, Al Ahli has at least let Juventus know they're willing to put €30 million on the table to secure the Argentine's services. After initially refusing the Saudi offer, Nico has instructed his entourage—led by Alessandro Moggi, who recently finalized Retegui's move to Al Qadsiah—to consider the details of the proposal. Al Ahli are tempting him, and not a little, since in addition to offering him a central role in the project, they would shower him with gold with a double-figure contract. Juve is rubbing their hands together and scanning the horizon with confidence: Nico's sale would finally guarantee liquidity for the club's coffers, while waiting for the other outgoing deals to be finalized, starting with Timothy Weah and Douglas Luiz. This would be a breath of fresh air to pursue the players Tudor hopes to have available next season.