Juventus have a problem on the left side of their formation. They only have one attacking-minded, left-footed player, and that individual is Federico Bernardeschi, who himself has been floated around in transfer rumors.
Recently, Bernardeschi has shown that he can be an asset to Juve as a squad player, and he may even have a bigger role to play if he moves to left back, where he’s impressed in recent 3-1 wins over Lazio and Cagliari.
But ideally, Bernardeschi is a rotational piece and not a full-time starter. And if he were to move to left back to replace Alex Sandro, that would still leave a hole open at the left midfield position in Andrea Pirlo’s 4-4-2. Federico Chiesa has played well on that side, but the Fiorentina loanee is generally better on the right side.
So if Juventus want to get serious about filling in one of their two biggest weaknesses in the squad – the other being the gaping holes in center midfield – then they have one top-class Serie A option they can pursue this summer.
Robin Gosens should be one of Juventus’ top transfer targets in 2021
Atalanta’s Robin Gosens is having a sensational 2020-2021 season. After emerging on Juve’s radar last year, Gosens has built on his performances with 10 goals and 5 assists in 2020-2021 between Serie A and the Champions League. He has arguably been Atalanta’s best player on a team that includes Duvan Zapata, Luis Muriel, and Cristian Romero (among others).
According to TuttoMercatoWeb.com’s Raimondo De Magistris, Atalanta would like to receive 40 million euros in exchange for the 26-year-old left midfielder.
It won’t be easy for Juventus to afford Gosens and a midfielder who could cost the same amount, such as Manuel Locatelli or Rodrigo De Paul, but that is a perfectly reasonable asking price for the best player at his position in Serie A.
There isn’t a better possible upgrade than Gosens, who would bring a lot of star power to the Juve lineup if he were signed. In addition to his nine goals this season, Gosens is a very well-rounded player in terms of creation and defensive output. The German international has 1.1 key passes per game, 1.5 tackles per game, and 1.4 interceptions per game in Serie A this year, according to WhoScored.com.
That kind of all-around impact is needed in Turin. Federico Chiesa is similarly excellent at scoring, assisting, carrying the ball, creating, and providing defensive cover from the right, so imagine having Gosens on the left with him. Juventus would have an amazing duo that would be the strength of the team, and Cristiano Ronaldo and his forward partners, whether that is Paulo Dybala or Alvaro Morata or someone else, will have an adequate supply of service. Throw in Locatelli, De Paul, or Houssem Aouar with Arthur Melo, and you have a dream setup.
We have to see what kinds of moves Juve make in the summer to clear wage space and what kind of swaps and sales are available to them, but Gosens for 40 million euros is not an unfair price by any means. He should be one of the Bianconeri’s absolute top targets.