OFFICIALLY OFFICIAL: Gonzalo Higuain moves on loan to Chelsea

When Juventus first signed Cristiano Ronaldo, the common thinking was that Gonzalo Higuain was going to be the main name that would be heading out to another team. The two most-talked about destinations were Milan and Chelsea because of two very different kinds of reasons.

As we sit here in late-January, Higuain can now say he’s played for both this season.

The 31-year-old Higuain has finalized his expected move to the blue side of London, as both Chelsea and Juventus have announced Wednesday that Pipita has joined the Blues on a six-month loan deal until the end of the season. Higuain, who was sent on loan to Milan as part of the swap deal that saw Leonardo Bonucci return to Juventus this past summer, can see his stay at Stamford Bridge extended another season if he hits certain stipulations built into the agreement between Juve and Chelsea.

More, courtesy of Juventus’ official website:

Turin, 23 January 2019 - Juventus Football Club S.p.A. announces that the agreement with AC Milan S.p.A. for the temporary transfer of the player Gerardo Gonzalo Higuain has been terminated and, at the same, the agreement with Chelsea Football Club Ltd for the loan, until 30 June 2019, of the player has been finalized. These operations do not generate any significant economic effects in the current financial year.

The agreement also grants to Chelsea FC the options to extend the duration of the loan until 30 June 2020, for a consideration of € 18 million to be paid in 2019/2020 financial year, or to acquire the registration rights of the player on a permanent basis for € 36 million to be paid in two financial years.

Higuain spent two seasons at Juventus after the Italian champions shelled out a then-club record fee of €90 million to bring him to Turin after his record-breaking season at Napoli. But, with the club-record signing of Cristiano Ronaldo this past summer, Higuain became expendable — both tactically and financially — and it quickly became obvious that he was going to be playing at a new club before the summer transfer window closed.

There were two clubs he was immediately linked to: Chelsea and Milan.

As much as Chelsea wanted Higuain over the summer, it was Milan that actually got the deal done, with Juve’s former No. 9 included in the deal that brought Bonucci back to Juventus after his one year at the San Siro.

But, with plenty of things looming over Milan’s future, it’s pretty obvious that Higuain wasn’t going to be a part of that — and now he gets to play for the manager that helped him have his best season ever, Maurizio Sarri.