Alex Sandro: Future looks uncertain amid interest from European elites

Turing 30 doesn’t always mean you are done with the highest level of professional football. In fact, the ever-emerging age should act as an impetus behind ramping up one’s incentive to play better with each passing season. Alex Sandro stepped into his 30 almost two months ago, but his overall decline might have started since Andrea Pirlo took over the managerial duties at Juventus. And now, it is quite visible on the bare eyes.

The Catanduva-born left-back is standing on the periphery of his Juventus career — a wrong step could pin the final nail on his coffin.

The outing against Torino was a collective disaster, and Alex Sandro, just like half of the team, was an isolated individual, unable to make those galloping runs through the left, slow during the build-up, and occasionally notorious for getting bullied by Torino runners on the Old Lady’s left flank.

Early into the game, he was guilty of losing position outside Juve’s own box, letting a low cross meet the legs of Andrea Belotti. Thanks to a courageous tackle from Matthijs de Ligt, Alex Sandro was able to breathe a sigh of relief.

Offensively, Alex Sandro was not as effective as Juan Cuadrado, who was playing his conventional role of a right full-back on Saturday afternoon. But it is not about just one game, and please, do not think that Alex Sandro is getting thrown under the bus for losing the Derby della Mole.

In reality, his decline is well observed throughout the 2020-21 season.

Let us talk about the numbers then…

Before making a definitive consideration on whether Alex Sandro is experiencing a steady decline or not, there must be an exhibition concerning the numbers behind his recent performances for the Piedmontese club.

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As found in the statistic provided by Fbref.com, Alex Sandro is having his worst domestic season as a Juventus professional as far as his tally of npxG (non-penalty expected goals) and xA (expected assists) is concerned.

Those low metrics showcase that Alex Sandro is not getting into the situations from where he could help the team offensively, either by giving assists or scoring goals. Adding to that, his shot-creating actions per 90 minutes (SCA90) of 2.42 is the worst the left-back has ever had accumulated in his whole Serie A career.

We all know that the 30-year-old campaigner is not renowned for his defensive attributes, with only the “Aerials won” row addressing the green bar in the player’s scouting report presented on the aforementioned website.

It is visible that Alex Sandro’s strengths, perhaps not in all aspects but evidently in some, have started to roll downhill. And it has also been portrayed by the full-back’s topsy-turvy performances every now and then under the command of Andrea Pirlo this season.

What should be Juventus’ remedy?

Andrea Pirlo might have sensed that Alex Sandro’s presence doesn’t support the way he wants the Bianconeri to play football a long time ago. Therefore, he frequently has opted to field Danilo on the left-back position, allowing Cuadrado to push further forward while Danilo makes a back-three with the two designated centre-backs in case the oppositions initiate a counter.

But Pirlo’s lack of faith in Adrien Rabiot and Aaron Ramsey has propelled him to deploy Danilo in a new midfield role of late.

Nonetheless, having endured his worst day in the centre of the park against Torino, Danilo might not dare to play that role again in the near future and be brought back to the left-back by Il Maestro.

As for Alex Sandro, a report in La Gazzetta dello Sport (via Calciomercato) believes Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City are interested in him and want to complete a move for the full-back in the upcoming summer transfer window.

The Samba boy is bound to Juventus’ contract until June 2023, meaning any suitor will have to pay a reasonable sum of money to secure his services this summer. Unless something drastic alters the ongoing situation, Juventus should consider offloading him and pocketing the money, albeit diminutive, in return.

Who should replace Alex Sandro next season?

There is not a heap of options but one Juventus would love to sign from the approaching summer market. And his name is Robin Gosens.

Gosens has caught the eyes of the Serie A followers with a sensational statement for Atalanta this term. The 26-year-old German has made 24 Serie A appearances for Atalanta, scoring 8 goals and providing 5 assists thus far.

It is believed that Atalanta would only sell the star-in-the-making should they receive a transfer fee of around €40 million amid a pandemic-impacted transfer market. A versatile outlet, Gosens can utilise his salient qualities both as a left-sided midfielder as well as a left full-back.

Unlike Alex Sandro, the German is ample with his defensive attributes. Notable for his robust physicality, Gosens could be a perfect fit for an Andrea Pirlo side and a long-term solution to Juve’s enigmas encircling the left-back position.