Federico Gatti was a late bloomer in terms of making it to the top. It was not that long ago that he was a bricklayer and only playing in Italy’s sixth tier.
His stellar success at Juventus, and with Italy on the international arena, has alerted leading teams despite his contract running until June 2028.
The 26-year-old seems settled with the Turin titans, with rumours since November that the Bianconeri want Gatti to extend his commitment by signing a new long-term contract.
Gatti is a valuable asset, and could be used as leverage in a part-cash exchange deal with a number of clubs such as Napoli and their exiled striker Victor Osimhen.
Bargain price tag
With a price tag of just €25 million (US$27.2m), Gatti would be a bargain buy and is known to be on the summer wishlist of Premier League outfits Everton and Newcastle United.
Uncertainty surrounds the future of Juventus head coach Thiago Motta, with ex-Italy bosses Antonio Conte and Roberto Mancini mentioned as his potential successor.
It seems that Gatti is best to wait to see how everything pans out before making a decision about his career.
Rivoli-born Gatti is familiar in his surroundings in the Turin region, and without doubt has shone under Motta despite Juve’s inconsistent form this term.
Conte and Mancini
Conte is a former Juventus manager, and demands success wherever he plies his trade. The Napoli head coach is battling it out for the Scudetto with Atalanta and Inter Milan this season, but for the next campaign could be at a different club that includes the Bianconeri.
He is a long-term admirer of Gatti. If Conte stays at Napoli he would be keen to pair Gatti with Alessandro Buongiorno, and if he rejoins Juve then may try to lure Turin-born Buongiorno to follow him.
Mancini, who has reportedly agreed to take over the reins from Motta on an initial four-month basis, was responsible for giving Gatti his international break in 2022 so he’s a huge fan.
Gatti was called up for Italy’s three-day training camp in May 2022. He helped to keep a clean sheet on his international debut the following month, in the UEFA Nations League match against England. Gatti has been tracked ever since by a plethora of Premier League clubs, including Everton and Newcastle.
Spotted by Turin teams
Gatti only turned professional in 2020, when he signed for Serie C club Pro Patria. The following year he moved to Serie B outfit Frosinone for just €250,000 (US$272,000).
He was spotted by Turin rivals Juventus and Torino in Italy’s second tier, but it was the Bianconeri that beat Il Toro to secure him for €7.5m (US$8.15m) in January 2022. Gatti was loaned back to Frosinone for the rest of the season, and has been a Juve stalwart since August 2022.
Gatti’s future seems bright for club and country. It appears that it will take until summer talks about whether he wants to sign a contract extension with Juventus or face a new career challenge elsewhere.