Juventus: 3 players that Massimiliano Allegri should keep
Doomed for one and blessed for the other, the last Friday was the epitome of real predicament, agony, and the prospect of a jolly tomorrow. It was made public by the board that Andrea Pirlo, having won a Supercoppa Italiana and Coppa Italia in his one-year stint at the club, had been relieved of his managerial duties at Juventus.
Missing out on the Scudetto and getting knocked out of the Champions League in the round of 16 saw Andrea Paying the price by losing his coveted job. In his place, as the club confirmed, Massimiliano Allegri returned to the throne.
The club, yet again, has put faith in the man, who led La Vecchia Signora to five Scudetti, four Coppa Italia, and two Supercoppa Italiana during his first term. Plus, he was the manager to lead the Bianconeri to two Champions League finals, though losing both of them, unfortunately, over the last decade.
It is the time to rebuild, with the summer transfer window reportedly approaching fast. Signing a four-year contract, the Livorno-born gaffer will pocket €9 million every season. Furthermore, as reported by Gianluca di Marzio, Allegri will have the maximum say in every transfer dealing this summer — a privilege that not every manager gets to enjoy at Juventus — with Juventus director Fabio Paratici leaving at the end of June after 11 seasons with the Bianconeri.
Amid the pandemic-impacted transfer market and Juventus losing in millions daily, the board will have to be smart with the planning ahead of a window, where buying big names could be as crucial as keeping some. Without any further ado, let us take a look at three players that Massimiliano Allegri should keep.
#3 Adrien Rbiot
Playing mostly in the two-man midfield, Adrien Rbiot looked unsettled and unconventional at times with his positioning on the pitch, consequently dropping quite a few howlers and uninspiring performances on the road last season. However, a decent end to his 2020-21 campaign has imposed a huge “but” in the middle of whether he should quit Juventus or keep on moving.
Amid these dilemmas over his future, stories have kept linking him with a summer move to Everton, Chelsea (which sounds whimsical), and Barcelona. But as told before, that closing run of performances have pointed out that Adrien Rabiot might have a future with Max Allegri, who is more likely to field him in a three-man midfield where the Frenchman, with the less defensive onus on his shoulders, would be able to express his traits more freely.
Completing his free transfer to Juventus in 2019, the former Paris Saint-Germain professional admitted that he had joined the Italian club for only Max Allegri. As reported by Football Italia, Roabiot told La Gazzetta dello Sport:
"“Two years ago, I signed Juventus also because I knew he [Allegri] was the coach. “Juventus won so many trophies with him on the bench, reaching the Champions League Final twice. I think he used the last two years to observe football and how it’s evolving.”"
On the topic of leaving, the 26-year-old said:
"“I feel well at Juventus. “I feel appreciated by everyone, I recognize myself in the winning DNA of this club, and I don’t see why I should leave Juve. We have the quality to win the title again. “The Supercup against Inter could be our revenge, and I want to win the Champions League as Juventus haven’t won it for too long.”"
Now, the rest depends on the boss, who will make the ultimate call on whether to sell the midfielder, who has played 84 matches, scored 6 goals, and produced 4 assists so far for the Old Lady. Rabiot wants to stay, and Allegri should consider keeping him because something is better than nothing.