Juventus, Federico Gatti close to finalizing contract extension

Juve’s investment in the former bricklayer appears to be paying off.

The initial reports after the calendar turned from August to September and the summer transfer window came to a close said that the plan of the new Juventus front office was to shift to locking a good number of the squad’s players to long-term contracts.

We look like we’re set for the first one.

According to Goal Italia’s Romeo Agresti on Thursday, Juventus and hard-nosed, grinta-fueled defender Federico Gatti are set to finalize a contract extension that will tie him to the club through 2028. Gatti was one of the first names mentioned when reports out of Italy said that Juve were working on a group of contract extensions for some of their best and more important players for the future, with a new deal for the former bricklayer expected to be wrapped up rather quickly considering how things have gone since he moved to Turin.

And here we are, with seemingly just a few more details to iron out before the official announcement is posted on Juventus’ website.

It’s been a little less than two years since Juventus signed Gatti from Frosinone in January 2022. Gatti, as we know, was named Serie B’s defender of the year and earned his first Italy cap even before appearing in a game for Juventus, the latest in a meteoric rise through the ranks of Italy’s lower leagues to joining the biggest club in Italy in a deal that cost €7.5 million plus another couple million in bonuses.

While Gatti still has a relatively small amount of appearances with Juve under his belt, the initial response — especially from the new management team — is that they view him as a player that contribute both in the present and the future.

Juventus manager slowed played Gatti’s integration into the starting lineup, with most of the 25-year-old’s appearances coming after the winter World Cup break last season. Since coming back from the break, though, Gatti has seen his first extended periods of playing time in a Juventus jersey. For the most part, it has gone better than it has been poor, with his inexperience (and total overeagerness based on his playing style) showing at times.

But a contract extension through 2028 is a sign to Gatti that Cristiano Giuntoli and Co. like what they see so far during his year-plus at Juventus. For a guy who is easily one of the best stories in Serie A these days, that kind of job security is going to feel awfully good.