Report: Juventus' Witsel deal failed after Zenit's last-second U-turn

Zenit St. Petersburg has some explaining to do.

After multiple reports claimed that the Russian side and Juventus had reached an €18-million agreement for afro-clad midfielder Axel Witsel to join the Italian powerhouse, the deal fell through in the final moments of the transfer window.

While it isn't quite as juicy as the famed David De Gea fax machine fiasco with Real Madrid, Wednesday's saga has still left the Bianconeri looking for answers.

Fabrizio Romano of the Guardian and Sky Sport Italia claims that Witsel, 27, spent the entire day in Turin, passing the necessary medical checks and putting pen to paper on a contract.

However, a late U-turn by Zenit boss Mircea Lucescu saw the deal stall, as the manager reportedly changed his mind on allowing the Belgian to leave after he was unable to find a suitable replacement.

As such, Juventus reportedly could not file the deal ahead of Serie A's transfer window slamming shut.

The powerful midfielder was expected help fill the void left by Paul Pogba, but instead, Juve boss Massimiliano Allegri will need to rely on what is, admittedly, an already impressive squad to make up for the departure of the French superstar.

There is a silver lining for supporters of the Italian club, however. Witsel's contract is due to expire at the end of the season, at which point Juve could secure his services on a free transfer; the exact sort of deal that has become something of a calling card for director Beppe Marotta.