The world of football transfers is full of near misses and hidden reasons. Few stories reveal this better than Jeremiah St. Juste’s summer journey. While the 28-year-old defender has recently been making headlines for disagreements with his current club, Sporting, it was a move to Spain that almost happened, and for reasons that shine a light on club finances.
This summer, St. Juste had a busy few weeks. His name came up in talks with several teams. Osasuna was the first to show strong interest, followed by Germany’s Union Berlin. Wolfsburg also reached out, wanting to know about his availability. It was the Spanish club, Osasuna, where things came closest to a handshake.
The Dutch player even traveled to Pamplona, Osasuna’s home city. He met with the club to understand their plans for him. A deal was struck between Osasuna and Sporting for roughly €3 million. Everyone thought the move was settled. Yet, St. Juste never pulled on an Osasuna jersey. He didn’t join the La Liga side.
The transfer fell apart because St. Juste and Osasuna’s management couldn’t agree on one key thing: his salary. Braulio Vázquez, Osasuna’s sporting director, opened up about the situation. He spoke on the club’s podcast, making it clear that Osasuna simply couldn’t meet the financial demands St. Juste had.
Vázquez was frank about their interest. “We don’t hide that we wanted St. Juste. We liked him a lot,” he explained. “He’s a quick center-back, able to play in any defensive setup. We tried everything to bring him in.” However, Vázquez stressed the club’s strict budget. “We have a limit on what we can pay,” he stated. “Some players are main figures in our squad. We couldn’t pay St. Juste more than them. It wouldn’t be good for the locker room spirit.” He added, “We could have given him a big salary and a big transfer fee, but we decided against it.” Osasuna needed a central defender, and Vázquez admitted they actively looked for one after this.
This failed transfer casts a long shadow over St. Juste’s current situation. Starting this Thursday, he will train with Sporting’s B team. This decision came from Sporting’s leadership, with coach Rui Borges agreeing. The club couldn’t find a new home for the Dutch defender this transfer window. His contract with Sporting, who won the national league twice in a row, runs until the end of the 2025/26 season.