Juve breaking bank for Higuain

Juventus are set to smash Italy's transfer record by snatching striker Gonzalo Higuain from Napoli after triggering his release clause of 94.7 million euros ($104 million), Italian media said on Sunday.

All that remains is the Argentine poacher's signature, which is regarded as a formality, local press said.

"It's all true. Gonzalo Higuain will live in Turin," declared the Turin daily La Stampa, considered the voice of the Agnelli family -- which runs Juventus.

He will be "the lethal weapon" that the Italian champions have been crying out for, it added, calling the move the "coup of the summer".

Higuain, 28, who has been linked with a number of top clubs around Europe, is expected to sign for four years with a salary of 7.5 million euros a year.

The transfer -- the most expensive in the history of Italian football -- is a warning of intent from Juve, who could recoup more than that with the possible sale to Manchester United of midfielder Paul Pogba.

That transfer saga is reported to be ongoing.

Despite helping Napoli to second place behind Juve last season, Higuain is reportedly keen to move to Turin because of the club's raised profile among Europe's elite after several years on the sidelines.

He joined Napoli for 40 million euros from Real Madrid in 2013 and has gone on to become one of the most exciting, and most consistent strikers in Italy's top flight.

He hit a stunning 36 goals last season to break Gunnar Nordahl's 66-year-old record of 35 goals for AC Milan in a 20-team season, which he achieved in 1950.

At Juventus, Higuain would join up with fellow Argentina international striker Paulo Dybala, who finished Serie A's second-highest scorer last season on 19.

Napoli fans are going to take a long time to forgive Gonzalo Higuaín for his imminent move as the San Paolo faithful cannot quite come to terms with the fact that the player they anointed as Maradona's heir, and with who they celebrated a Serie A record haul of 36 goals just two months ago, has chosen to move to Napoli's most detested rival.

“Higuaín villain” has become the slogan of protest among the fans, who have taken to the streets in anger. In the city centre Napoli supporters have congregated to put up banners and leave shirts, scarves and photos -- all sliced in half.

“Two months ago he was singing with us under the stands at San Paolo and now he does this to us…” one fan said. “He could have gone to any foreign side, like Cavani and Lavezzi did. Why Juve? Maradona would never have done this to us.”

One of the banners raised in anger against Higuaín read: “core 'ngrato” -- ungrateful heart, the nickname given to Brazilian José Altafini in 1975 when he left Napoli for Juventus. In the same season he scored an 88th-minute winner against Napoli that denied them the title.

Maradona, who helped Napoli win their only two Serie A titles when he played for the club from 1984 to 1991, said the speculation was "hurting" him.

"Nobody thinks about the supporters," he said on Facebook.

"It hurts me that Higuain is going to one of Napoli's direct rivals, like Juventus. But you can't blame the player. The player has his responsibility but it's the ones who do the business who are happy."

On Wednesday, Napoli president Aurelio Di Laurentiis had played down suggestions Higuain would go to Juventus and said the Argentine would "betray himself" if he left.