Juventus Transfers: Papu Gomez is well-worth 10 million euros
If Juventus want to sign Papu Gomez, they’ll have to pay Atalanta more than a competitor, but he’d still be worth the price.
So far in the 2020-2021 Serie A season, Juventus don’t have a single player with two key passes per game, according to WhoScored.com, and Alvaro Morata is their only player with five assists. They have a few players with 1.8 key passes per match and three assists, but with Aaron Ramsey having another up-and-down season, the Bianconeri need a creative upgrade.
That creativity is not coming from the center midfielders. Rodrigo Bentancur and Adrien Rabiot are more defensive, and Arthur Melo has yet to impress. Weston McKennie is the best of the bunch thus far, but he’s more of a secondary scorer and “glue” guy than someone who threads the needle with creative passes.
Papu Gomez could thus be an ideal solution for the Bianconeri. Yes, he would be another aging player in the Juventus squad, but there are exceptions to the rules that Juve should only sign young players. Any exception must be sufficiently talented, and Gomez is a cut above the rest, especially when you compare him to some of the veteran signings Juve have made recently, like Ramsey.
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Atalanta have made it abundantly clear that Gomez will be on the way out this winter. According to a report from Yagiz Sabuncuoglu of TRT Spor, Atalanta are offering Gomez for five million euros to clubs abroad and 10 million euros to clubs in Serie A. Juventus tried to sign him in a swap deal using Federico Bernardeschi, but Atalanta predictably said no to the underwhelming option.
That said, a cash deal could work, even if Atalanta would be reluctant to sell. There’s a way Juventus can be convincing here, especially if Gomez wants a move. And why wouldn’t Gomez want to play for the biggest club in Italy, thread passes to Cristiano Ronaldo, and get a chance to stick it to Gian Piero Gasperini for kicking him to the side of the road?
In this economy, 10 million euros for a 32-year-old is no small price, but Gomez is worth it. He has scored four goals and two assists this season despite being phased out completely by the manager. Last season, he was world-class for Atalanta, pulling the strings with a jaw-dropping 16 assists and 2.8 key passes per game.
Gomez is mostly a chance-provider, and that will mean a whole lot to Morata, Ronaldo, and Paulo Dybala up top. Dejan Kulusevski could also benefit greatly in attacking formations. Gomez can play wide as well. He’s a capable scorer and dribbler, so he offers more than just inch-perfect passing and creative solutions in tight spaces.
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An operation for Gomez will be difficult, and if Atalanta want to play hardball, they can make sure their former best player never ends up in Turin. But Juventus should still try. Gomez can help take Juve to the top this season, and with the club still trailing Milan, 10 million euros is not a bad fee for a Serie A superstar who can help Juve fill the gap in the table.