Juventus left back Gianluca Frabotta has been one of the surprises of the first three Matchdays.
Under new manager Andrea Pirlo, we can expect to see several young players get a chance to make a name for themselves at Juventus, much like the club gave the Serie A legend a chance to make his mark as a manager this season.
Left back Gianluca Frabotta has been one of the bright spots after two games. Yes, it is only two games, but Frabotta has impressed so much that there’s been talk of him getting a new long-term contract with a significant raise.
Frabotta has appeared in both games for Juve, clocking 67 minutes as a starter against Sampdoria before getting five minutes to see off a 2-2 draw with AS Roma at the Stadio Olimpico.
The Bianconeri’s new backup left back for Alex Sandro, Frabotta already looks like an upgrade over Mattia De Sciglio. And while Sandro is established, there was talk of Juventus looking into a summer signing to replace him, so Frabotta could continue to push for starts ahead of the experienced Brazilian.
Gianluca Frabotta has room to grow with Juventus at 21
According to WhoScored.com, Frabotta has completed 85.2 percent of his passes and has genuinely looked like a competent left back. He has three shot-creating actions, too, per FBRef.com. It would be an exaggeration to say that he is truly a starting-caliber fullback right now for a club like Juventus, but it is fair to praise Frabotta for his work rate and his standing on the team as a key backup.
Frabotta, if he continues to impress and develop over the course of a full season, can eventually become a key contributor for Andrea Pirlo’s Juventus side.
At 21, the Italian defender still has a lot of growing to do. Playing left back isn’t easy, and it’s a position that very few players can be quickly great at. Alphonso Davies and Andrew Robertson have spoiled a lot of people; the Bayern and Liverpool starters are absolutely exceptions.
Frabotta doesn’t have a high ceiling, but, again, he could one day push to be a starter for Juve. That may never happen, but Frabotta can always carve out a nice niche role, much like what Juve wanted from De Sciglio at the fullback position.
Now, Frabotta heads into the 2020-2021 UEFA Champions League as a member of the squad, and he has the backing of his manager. Pirlo could have signed Emerson Palmieri from Chelsea as competition for Alex Sandor, but he decided to stick with Frabotta. And now, Frabotta is rewarding his manager’s trust.