Juventus: Is Ryan Gravenberch a worthwhile transfer target?

Juventus could sign a young midfielder in the upcoming transfer windows, and Ajax’s Ryan Gravenberch is on the radar.

This summer, Juventus made two midfield acquisitions. First, they traded Miralem Pjanic to Barcelona for Arthur Melo, who quietly looks like he could become a foundational piece for the midfield. Second, they acquired Weston McKennie on loan from Schalke, and he’s shown enough potential that he could potentially join the team permanently.

But Juve are still weighing their options and still want to get younger in midfield. Serie A stars like Rodrigo De Paul and Manuel Locatelli have piqued the Bianconeri’s interest. In Locatelli’s case, a move could even happen in January.

Juve are looking outside of Italy, too. According to a report from Tuttosport’s Filippo Cornacchia, Juventus have shown interest in Ajax defensive midfielder Ryan Gravenberch, who is regarded as one of the most promising young midfielders in Europe. Teams all over the continent are monitoring Gravenberch, who is the latest gem in the middle of the pitch for Ajax.

Gravenberch is off to an incredible start in the 2019-2200 Eredivisie campaign. He has two assists, a key pass per game, 1.7 dribbles completed per game, and 1.2 fouls drawn per match, according to WhoScored.com. The 18-year-old has been strong defensively, too, with 2.2 interceptions per game.

He is as impressive of a target as Locatelli, because even though he isn’t playing for a team competing in the top four of Serie A like Sassuolo, he is just 18 and is putting up elite numbers. Gravenberch is impacting the game in so many ways for Ajax, and he looks like the exact kind of player who could boost Juve’s midfield.

Transfermarkt has Gravenberch valued at 11 million euros, but there is no way the Bianconeri get such a talented, productive 18-year-old midfielder at that cost. Gravenberch should cost triple that amount, even in this economy. But he could still be more affordable to the Bianconeri than either De Paul or Locatelli, whose value to their respective Italian clubs makes it especially difficult to pry them at a low fee.

Gravenberch is a younger alternative with plenty of production. He’s done well with 2.7 tackles per game and 1.7 fouls drawn per game in the Champions League, but he has no assists or key passes in Europe’s premier competition. Juventus must watch Gravenbech’s Champions League performances closely, because they will tell more about whether or not the player can make the leap to Serie A’s biggest club.

Juve must be patient with their midfield targets while also tracking their own young loan acquisition’s development, as McKennie could very well be the answer. Next summer, Juve should take stock of their financial situation and the available targets. Houssem Aouar is the dream option, but Locatelli and now Gravenberch should be high on the wishlist, too.