Who is recent Juventus debutant Félix Correia?
Amid all the late drama that unfolded in Udine on Sunday evening, Andrea Pirlo handed a first-team debut to 20-year-old Felix Correia as Juventus went in search of the comeback that eventually ensued.
Correia’s debut certainly went under the radar thanks to Cristiano Ronaldo’s vintage heroics and although the newbie was pretty inactive in his five-minute cameo, we suspect Pirlo may utilise him from time to time down the stretch.
So, to prepare Juventini for #CorreiaSZN, let’s delve into what the 20-year-old is all about.
Portuguese roots
Born in Lisbon, Correia’s youth career started in his hometown at the unknown Club Internacional de Football before his talent caught the eye of Sporting CP in 2010.
The majority of his teenage years were spent excelling for the Lisbon giant’s youth sides until Manchester City made a move for the exuberant winger in 2019, sending €7m to Sporting for Correia’s services as the teenager signed a five-year contract with the Cityzens.
It was Correia’s stellar form throughout the Under-19 European Championships in the summer that convinced City to pursue a move, with Barcelona, AC Milan, and Juventus all intrigued by Correia’s potential.
He was immediately loaned out to Jong AZ (AZ Alkmaar’s reserve side) for the COVID-disrupted 2019/20 campaign, notching an impressive eight goal contributions in the Dutch second tier.
City, however, didn’t appear convinced by the Portuguese youth international.
Swap deal
Despite City’s concerns, Correia remained one of the brightest talents that Portuguese football had to offer and it would be the Bianconeri who’d emerge as the beneficiaries of the youngster’s talent.
A swap deal in the summer of 2020 was agreed with City that saw Under-23 star Pablo Moreno make the switch to Manchester in exchange for Correia.
Under-23 star
Inspired by teammate Cristiano Ronaldo, Correia’s dynamic playstyle has garnered flattering comparisons to his hero and countryman Nani.
The youngster made an immediate impact with Juve’s Under-23’s, inspiring a Bianconeri comeback on debut against Pro Sesto last September. Tuttomercatoweb described Correia as the “great protagonist of the evening”, commending his mazy dribbling abilities, dynamism, technique, and awareness.
That stellar showing, though, was just the start of a superb maiden campaign in Turin. Before making his senior debut on Sunday, Correia had registered seven goals and six assists in 28 league appearances for the Under-23’s.
Profile
Correia boasts a slight frame and there may be concerns from a physical perspective as he leaps up to Serie A. Nevertheless, the Portuguese youngster is certainly an exciting prospect.
While Correia’s adept off both flanks, he’s more proficient and prolific when deployed as an inverted winger from the left – 17 of his 22 career goal contributions have come when utilised as a left-winger.
The 20-year-old possesses a distinct effervescence with the ball at his feet and a worrying unpredictability for defenders. He can attack one-vs-one in a multitude of ways, with his ability to change speed and direction both impressive. Imperatively, he attacks space aggressively – meaning he fits the ‘outlet’ profile.
Overall, Correia’s technique is very good; he’s a superb dribbler and sound passer, with switches of play and rapid combinations both features of his game.
However, improvement is required with his weaker left foot to further enhance his variation in possession. Admittedly, it was pretty tricky to depict any other weaknesses in limited footage of the youngster.
Outlook
Correia’s raw but exciting. The 20-year-old may not be of first-team quality just yet but he’s certainly shown enough at an inferior level to earn a spot in the senior squad. Thus, it was refreshing to see him earn some minutes in crunch time on Sunday.
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I’m sure Juventini will be hoping to catch further glimpses of Correia’s talent before the season’s out and while he’s never going to usurp the likes of Federico Chiesa and Juan Cuadrado as Andrea Pirlo’s primary wide options, Federico Bernardeschi’s incompetence means Correia should earn some minutes off the bench in Juve’s remaining league fixtures.
Hopefully, we don’t have another Nicolo Fagioli situation. Let’s just let the kid play, eh?