Juventus director Fabio Paratici seems to have a great eye for talent, judging by some of the signings the Bianconeri have made under his watch. Just this past summer, Paratici added a duo of promising young players who look poised to make a long-term impact in Weston McKennie and Federico Chiesa. The likes of Matthijs de Ligt, Merih Demiral, Radu Dragusin, and, of course, Dejan Kulusevski also look like real building blocks for the Black and Whites.
But there is one man who got away from Paratici a couple of years ago, according to top football insider Fabrizio Romano speaking on the “Here We Go” podcast.
Romano revealed that two years ago, Juventus were following Manchester City midfielder Phil Foden when he was an up-and-coming prospect.
City, of course, flatly declined Paratici’s overtures, knowing full well that Foden had the potential to become one of the best players in England.
[Hat tip to City Xtra’s Adam Booker for the story.]
Valued highly by manager Pep Guardiola, Foden is proving both City and Juventus correct with his performances over the past couple of seasons. The 20-year-old has six goals and four assists this season in all competitions despite not being a weekly starter, and his technical quality is simply off the charts. He is growing and has built on what was an encouraging 2019-2020 campaign.
Meanwhile, Juventus could still use creative attacking firepower in their own midfield. A player like Houssem Aouar would make a lot of sense in the summer 2021 transfer window, as the Lyon star showed Juve first-hand what he can do during last year’s Champions League knockout round.
Foden is not on the table, of course. If the Citizens were uninterested in selling him years ago, then they are surely even less interested in parting ways with the young midfielder now. And Foden seems absolutely committed to becoming City’s – and Guardiola’s – next great midfielder.
But it’s fun to think “What if?”. Could you imagine Foden and Cristiano Ronaldo working together? That would have been some sight for Juventini.