Juventus still need more creativity in midfield

Juventus signed Weston McKennie on loan and traded for Barcelona’s Arthur Melo, but they are still missing a piece in the midfield.

Last season, Juventus had two players with 50 key passes in Serie A, per FBref.com. And those two leading creators were also their leading goal-scorers, Cristiano Ronaldo and Paulo Dybala.

Juve had only two midfielders with five assists last season, Miralem Pjanic and Rodrigo Bentancur. They were the only players other than Ronaldo and Dybala with 1.5 key passes per game in Serie A, according to WhoScored.com.

Pjanic was second on the team in assists and key passes in 2019-2020. He’s gone now, replaced by a player in Arthur Melo who is undoubtedly a long-term upgrade in midfield, but had half the assists as Pjanic last season with a mere 0.6 key passes per contest.

Weston McKennie could be a better playmaker than he showed at FC Schalke 04 in a more defensive role, but it would be a gamble to expect him to average 1.5 key passes per game and eclipse five assists. Juventus is a big step up from Schalke, and the loanee may not be a regular player for the Old Lady next season.

Houssem Aouar may be Juventus’ best option

So Juventus are in need of more creativity in the middle of the park. Dybala is a great central playmaker in the attacking third, and Juan Cuadrado adds enough out wide. Ideally, Juve would sign a better left back in the attack than Alex Sandro, but this summer transfer window is anything but ideal for clubs due to the financial hit dealt by COVID-19.

But those moves still wouldn’t solve a problem Juve went through last season. They just don’t have a player in midfield who can truly pull the strings. Bentancur and McKennie have excellent work rate and are talented players, Arthur is a great ball-carrier who can produce. But who is the creative impetus?

That’s why it’s so key for Juventus to keep pursuing Houssem Aouar. He can be the true game-changer for the Bianconeri. Aouar would cost a lot, but he’s worth it, and the statistics show that he can be a playmaker for Juve.

Last season, Aouar led Champions League upstarts Lyon in goal-creating actions per 90 minutes and was among Ligue 1’s leaders in passes into the final third. He’s the kind of player Juventus are missing, and he could really help Dybala bridge the gap between midfield and the attack. Aouar can get the most out of Ronaldo and Dybala in ways last year’s midfield trio could not.

While there are other options out there who could help Juve creatively, they may be even more difficult to sign. No matter who Andrea Pirlo targets, he has to either have confidence in McKennie or know that more creative influence is needed for Juve to be competitive in the Champions League again.