Pape Matar Sarr's move away from Tottenham is moving past loose interest and into the shape of an actual transfer. Juventus are in the frame, Monaco have also been in the race, and the dispute now is over structure: a straight loan, a loan with an option to buy, or a conditional obligation.

The deal structure

Fabrizio Romano has been saying the clubs have advanced talks, with one line reporting an initial loan plus buy option that can become mandatory under certain conditions. Another version attached a €30m package and said Sarr wanted Juventus. That lines up with the central point here, because the broad direction is agreed even if the exact mechanism is not.

Juventus' preference has been a loan with an option to buy at the end of the season. Tottenham, by contrast, are said to want the obligation built in if certain conditions are met. Those are not tiny differences. They decide whether this is treated as a temporary move with a future choice, or a sale that only waits on triggers.

Why Tottenham are open to it

Sarr has been in and around the Spurs squad for a while now. He joined from FC Metz in August 2021 and has registered 11 goals and 11 assists in 141 matches for Tottenham.

He played 37 times last season, with 26 of those outings coming in the Premier League, but he has not featured in any of Tottenham's three outings this season, including the Carabao Cup win over Charlton. Spurs have also added Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali this summer, which helps explain why an exit is being discussed at all.

Reportedly, the asking price being discussed is £21m, after a £17m bid from Galatasaray was rejected. Sarr is 23, so a loan-to-buy structure still fits the way clubs think about players at that age, and Juventus are clearly trying to land midfield depth without paying everything up front.

The one thing that still needs settling is which version wins out. If the reporting is right, Juventus have the edge now, but the final paperwork still has to match what both clubs are willing to sign.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 4 outlets. How we work →