Federico Bernardeschi was part of Juventus’ authoritative 4-2 victory over Zenit in the fourth round of the UEFA Champions League group stage matches on Tuesday. Not only did the triumph ensure Juventus’ qualification into the last 16 of the competition, but it also marked Bernardeschi’s return to his finest form.
The display against Zenit had shadows of his early days at Fiorentina, glimpses of brilliance that led Juventus to sign the Tuscan in the summer transfer window of 2017. Playing as a left-midfielder for Bianconeri on Tuesday, Bernardeschi completed seven key passes, had three shots on target, and recorded the assist for Federico Chiesa’s 73rd-minute strike.
Following the game, Bernardeschi was one of the individuals to face the camera in the post-match press conference. The 27-year-old was asked about his contract situation at the Piedmontese club. Hesitantly, Bernardeschi said (as reported by Romeo Agresti),
"“I am only thinking of doing well, these speeches will be addressed in the appropriate fora. Now it is only important to be concentrated, the rest will come.”"
Juventus considering offering Bernardeschi a contract renewal
Since moving to Turin from Florence, Barnardeschi has never had managed to emulate the former self that often ran riot for La Viola. Last season, he was considered an outcast, owing to the lack of playing time under the supervision of Andrea Pirlo. As per FBref.com, Bernardeschi earned only 972 minutes of Serie A football across 27 appearances last season.
On the contrary, Bernardeschi has played 470 minutes of league football across nine appearances under Massimiliano Allegri. In terms of assists and goals, he may have not flourished, with both of his assists coming in Champions League fixtures. It would not be too harsh to say that he is still endeavouring to learn his craft in the top tier of Italian football.
That said, TuttoJuve reports that Juventus want to offer Bernardeschi a new contract but could lower his wages in the deal. The Italian’s current terms run out in June next year.
It will be interesting to see how things eventually pan out, considering that Bernardeschi is turning into an integral player for Allegri and Juventus. Other than Bernardeschi, Paulo Dybala and Juan Cuadrado are understood to be closing in on new deals at the Allianz Stadium.