The 23-year-old has signed a five-year-contract and becomes the Bianconeri’s third signing of the week, following yesterday loan capture of Guglielmo Stendardo, and the pre-contract agreement with Olof Mellberg.
Juve were desperate to sign a centre-midfielder this month, following the hugely disappointing form of Tiago Mendes and Sergio Almiron.
Almiron has already departed the club on loan to Monaco, while there is still a chance that Tiago may leave before the end of the transfer window, despite denials by sporting director Alessio Secco.
Sissoko had been close to joining Juve in the summer after Liverpool agreed to sell him to the Italian giants.
The player turned down the move, controversially claiming that the Reds were a “bigger club”, and instead he signed a fresh deal at Anfield.
However Sissoko has now had a change of heart after falling way down the centre-midfield pecking order this season.
He has featured sparingly as Manager Rafa Benitez opted for the likes of Steven Gerrard, Javier Mascherano, Xabi Alonso and Lucas.
“I am happy to have arrived at such an important club,” Sissoko told Juventus Channel.
“This experience will surely be a step forward for my career. I am emotional at the thought of being able to play with great champions with the calibre of Gigi Buffon and Alessandro Del Piero and the chance to link up with Claudio Ranieri, a top Coach who I worked with at Valencia."
Ranieri is a huge admirer of Sissoko and believes he can make a big impact in Turin. The move however has not gone down well at all with the large majority of Juventus supporters.
Sissoko, who was in Turin on Sunday and Monday, has now returned to the African Cup of Nations ahead of his country Mali’s crucial match tonight against the Ivory Coast. Mali require just a point to qualify for the quarter-finals.
The 23-year-old will begin his Juventus career once the African Cup of Nations is over.
Gianni Wilson
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