Juventus’ Search For A #10: Dream v Reality

Following a frantic start to the transfer window for Juventus, things have appeared to calm down. That said, the bianconeri are now interested in signing a true attacking midfielder and #10 to make the fans dream again.

With the departures of Carlos Tevez and Andrea Pirlo, Juventus are forced to change the face of their team and, as a result, their style of play. Once Tevez departs for Boca Juniors, it will leave a gaping hole up front at the club.

More importantly, the #10 jersey, worn previously by the likes of Omar Sivori, Michel Platini, Roberto Baggio and Alessandro Del Piero, is now vacant. In a year where Juventus have gained autonomy in regards to licensing and merchandising, they will lose out on a massive marketing opportunity by leaving the famous #10 jersey unassigned.  Yet the jersey will lose its symbolic value if given to a player just for the club’s financial sake.

The major question remains, who is worthy of being the next in line for the #10? This articles assesses which attacking midfielders are viable acquisitions while looking at some not-so viable, but attractive, options.

Dream:

Isco (23): There is no denying it. Isco would be Juventus’ dream acquisition but unfortunately for them, it may prove unlikely. The Real Madrid man is truly one of the best attacking midfielders in football and possesses vision that many players can only dream of. For that reason, Florentino Perez may be unwilling to let his star midfielder move.

Moreover, if the Real boss is somehow fooled into giving the go-ahead at a potential sale for the 23-year-old, it will cost potential suitors a hefty price. The Spanish giants, who are known for their extravagant spending, are also notoriously good sellers. In the past they have sold Mesut Özil to Arsenal for £42.5 million while they have most recently sold Angel Di Maria to Manchester United for £59.7m. Expect Isco to go for nothing less than €35m.

Juventus are all too familiar with dealing with Real Madrid and know all about their pedigree on the transfer market due to their negotiations over Alvaro Morata. Los Galacticos managed to receive €20m for a relatively unproven player like Morata and inserted a buy-back clause in the deal. As a result of this, affording a player of Isco’s quality, may prove a step too far for the Italian champions.

The Galactico acquisition?

Oscar (23): The Brazilian is a player that is highly rated by Juventus boss, Massimiliano Allegri. In a recent interview Allegri told reporters,”With Pirlo and Tevez leaving we must change. I’d like to try new things with Isco or Oscar, they’re my favorites.”

While Chelsea continue to negotiate the futures of a vast amount of attacking talents, the 23-year-old does not appear to be on his way out. Jose Mourinho is a huge fan of the attacking midfielder and has complete faith in him to operate in his system. Oscar started 35 matches for the English champions in all competitions and continued to dazzle the opposition.

As a result of this, it is improbable that the London-based club will allow their midfielder to leave, although Brazilian international’s situation may change if Chelsea bring in another wealth of attacking players, like they have regularly done in the past.

At Juventus, he would find himself in an almost ideal situation where he will be able to play right behind the strikers. However, he will likely command a high transfer fee. The midfielder arrived from Internacional for £25m and Chelsea will not give Juventus any discounts for a world class player in his prime.

Brazilian on top of Allegri’s wish list.

Reality:

Riccardo Saponara (23): Following his move to Empoli from Milan in January, Saponara demonstrated his talent and put in some top drawer performances for the newly-promoted side. His good form was rewarded as Empoli acquired the player fully from Milan at the end of the season. They will, however, find it difficult to keep hold of their trequartista as top clubs from all around Italy such as Juventus and Napoli are queuing up for the player’s signature. With Saponara’s former manager and teammate, Maurizio Sarri and Mirko Valdifiori, moving to Napoli, the partenopei hold the upper hand in negotiations.

Juventus, on the other hand, have a proven track record with Italian players and have the project and pedigree to match the 23-year-old’s ambitions. The Serie A giants will reportedly leave Saponara on loan at Empoli for the next season, a proposition that Tuscany-based outfit welcome.

Furthermore, the player’s price-tag is reportedly set at a more affordable €15m and is something that Juventus are willing to match. Given Empoli and Juventus’ good relations in the past, as seen with Daniele Rugani, negotiations between the clubs may prove fruitful.

Empoli man attracting interest from all over Italy.

Stevan Jovetic (25): The former Fiorentina man has endured a torrid spell at Manchester City and has seen his playing time limited. Furthermore, his stay with the English giants has been marred with a variety of injuries. Due to this, his Premier League career never took off. Juventus are said to be targeting the player in the upcoming transfer window and are keen on bringing in the Montenegrin international on loan for the season.

There are three major complications in the deal. Firstly, Manuel Pellegrini’s side are hoping to insert a forced option to buy at the end of the loan, valued at approximately €20m; and since the 25-year-old has endured success in Italy in the past, the Italian giants will face competition from both Milan and Inter for the player’s signature.

In any case, the player’s injury record is definitely alarming and may prove too risky for Juventus.

Injury-ridden Stevan Jovetic could return to Italy.

Possibility:

Promotingone of their own: While Juventus can turn to the transfer market to bring in a worthy #10, they may not have to. There are a few candidates within the club that can take the next step in their career. One of them is newly-acquired Paulo Dybala who was brought in for €32m.

Many view him as a replacement for Carlos Tevez, who previously wore the #10 and given his skill-set and immense upside, this comes as no surprise. That said,  it will be a difficult task as the former Manchester City man was far more than just a prolific striker.

Another player who will be considered for the #10 jersey is Sassuolo’s Domenico Berardi. Juventus have just recently sold the winger to Sassuolo for €10m but possess a €18m buy-back option that they intend to exercise. The U21 Italy international appears to be destined for success and has enjoyed a remarkable first two seasons in Serie A. In 59 appearances for the neroverdi, Berardi has 30 goals and 20 assists.

In addition to his impressive stats, the player has displayed talent beyond his years and looks more than ready to play for a big club. Juventus will, however, have to wait another year to see him wear the famous black and white stripes.

Juventus’ next #10: Domenico Berardi?

Given the importance of the #10 jersey at Juventus and the need for an attacking midfielder, the bianconeri have yet another tough decision ahead of them. Luckily, there are multiple paths they can take to go about achieving this. In an ideal world without financial constraints, Juventus’ new #10 would be a certain Andalusian-born attacking midfielder named Isco.

However, that’s when reality sets in and puts Juventus on the path of more realistic options. Saponara doesn’t possess the star power of a true #10 and wouldn’t be the best choice, in my opinion. Dybala’s name has also been mentioned before but the burden of the jersey combined with his price-tag  may prove too much for the Argentine forward in his debut season at the club. Moreover, the player has only had one successful season at the top level under his belt.

Due to this, assigning him the #10 would be a step too far for the player. Domenico Berardi, on the other hand, possesses all the characteristics to don the historic jersey. He’s got the talent and the mentality to succeed at the highest level but he will have to get his attitude in check prior to making the move. Given Juventus’ ability to iron out the kinks in their bad apples, this may not be too difficult. While Juventus will have to wait a season before giving Berardi the #10,  their patience will be rewarded.

Juventus’ next #10: Domenico Berardi. It has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?

 

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