Juventus made one of the most under the radar signings of the summer when they brought in 19-year-old Mohamed Ihattaren from PSV.
Links came out of nowhere, but within 24 hours of the first report of Juve’s approach for the young Dutchman, he was suited up at Continassa penning a four-year deal with the club. It’s an exciting move for Juve despite Ihattaren’s stagnation in Eindhoven. Although, Juventini will have to wait a while for the creative midfielder to make an impact in Turin.
Immediately after his move was made official, it was revealed that the teenager will spend the 2021/22 campaign on loan at Sampdoria.
OFFICIAL | Mohamed Ihattaren is a Juventus player ⚪️⚫️
— JuventusFC 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@juventusfcen) August 31, 2021
Despite his talent, I’m sure there are plenty of Juventus supporters who aren’t exactly sure what they’re getting in Ihattaren. So, here’s everything you need to know about the 19-year-old.
Moroccan roots
Ihattaren was born in a small district in Utrecht called Kanaleneiland to Moroccan parents. His father, Mostapha, arrived in the Netherlands in the 1980s from Morocco before settling in Utrecht
Mostapha is said to have had a huge influence on Mohamed’s football development from a young age, with young Ihattaren being enrolled by his dad at local side SV Houten Club in 2009.
However, he’d spend just a year at the amateur side before Dutch giants PSV came sniffing around. Ihattaren was spotted by the 24-time Eredivisie champions during a series of talent days.
Speaking to Goal, Ihattaren remembers the time he was scouted by the club: “My brother told me that a PSV scout had been in attendance at a tournament I played in and he said I would receive an invitation. And, when that eventually dropped on the doormat, I immediately knew what it was about.
“They organised a talent day on a Sunday, where you got the chance to show what you can do. I went to two or three of those and then they told me they wanted me to stay.”
Ihattaren joined PSV in 2010 and spent his entire youth career at the club. He signed his first professional contract in 2018 after shining for both the Under-17 and Under-19 sides.