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Gonzalo Higuain Loan Move to Chelsea FC Finally Official

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It took a few days longer than expected, but the deal is finally done. Juventus striker Gonzalo Higuain is now signed, sealed and delivered to Chelsea FC on loan. After spending the first part of the season on loan at AC Milan (where he scored eight goals), the 31-year-old now comes to Stamford Bridge on a six month contract.

The deal includes a €18 million option to extend the loan for next season, and a €36m club option to make the signing permanent, should things work out well.

“When the opportunity to join Chelsea presented itself I had to take it,” Higuain is quoted by the official Chelsea website.

The club announced the deal with the hash tag #HiguaIN

“It’s a team I’ve always liked that has a lot of history, a wonderful stadium and they play in the Premier League, a league I’ve always wanted to play in.”

“I now hope I can give back that trust Chelsea have shown me out on the pitch. I can’t wait to start and I hope to adapt as soon as possible.”

Higuain reunites with manager Maurizio Sarri, under whom he scored a league leading and record breaking 36 goals when the duo were together at Napoli in 2015-16.

“Gonzalo was our number one target in this transfer window and arrives with a proven record at the highest level. He has previously worked with Maurizio to great effect and is familiar with how the coach likes to play,” Chelsea club Director Marina Granovskaia added.

‘This was not an easy deal for us to do because of the numerous parties involved, but we are delighted we were able to make it happen and we look forward to seeing the impact Gonzalo will make for us in the second half of the season.”

For almost all of the Premier League, this transfer window has been a snooze fest. It’s been total tumbleweeds. Not so at Chelsea, where we’ve seen Higuain and Christian Pulisic come in, with Cesc Fabregas and very soon likely Alvaro Morata, head out. Go here for Higuain’s first interview as a member of Chelsea, via the club’s site.

Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, a former writer for NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, regularly appears as a guest pundit on WGN CLTV and co-hosts the “Let’s Get Weird, Sports” podcast on SB Nation. 

He also contributes sociopolitical essays to Chicago Now. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram. The content of his cat’s Instagram account is unquestionably superior to his.