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3 Serie A candidates to replace Paulo Dybala at Juventus – ranked

By James Cormack

REGGIO NELL'EMILIA, ITALY - JANUARY 06: Domenico Berardi of US Sassuolo celebrates with team mates Giacomo Raspadori after scores his Goal ,during the Serie A match between US Sassuolo and Genoa CFC at Mapei Stadium - Citta' del Tricolore on January 6, 2022 in Reggio nell'Emilia, Italy. (Photo by MB Media/Getty Images)
REGGIO NELL'EMILIA, ITALY - JANUARY 06: Domenico Berardi of US Sassuolo celebrates with team mates Giacomo Raspadori after scores his Goal ,during the Serie A match between US Sassuolo and Genoa CFC at Mapei Stadium - Citta' del Tricolore on January 6, 2022 in Reggio nell'Emilia, Italy. (Photo by MB Media/Getty Images) /
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1. Domenico Berardi

Domenico Berardi has put up insane numbers for Sassuolo this season. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)
Domenico Berardi has put up insane numbers for Sassuolo this season. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images) /

At 27 years old, Berardi doesn’t boast the youth of Zaniolo and Raspadori but his production massively outweighs the younger pair. His 2021/22 campaign has been nothing short of extraordinary for Alessio Dionisi’s Sassuolo.

The Italian international is the only player in Serie A with double digit goals (14) and assists (11) this season.

Juventus have long been linked with a move for Berardi after he joined Sassuolo from the Bianconeri, and now might be the ideal time to reunite. La Gazzetta dello Sport’s Giovanni Albanese reported on Tuesday that Juve will shift to a 4-3-3 for the start of the 2022/23 campaign and he listed Berardi as the ideal candidate to replace Dybala.

It’s believed that a fee in the region of €30m will be enough to bring the Italian back to Turin, with the Neroverdi seemingly content to negotiate with Juve once again. That, ladies and gentlemen, is peanuts for a player of Berardi’s calibre.

The 27-year-old is a creative force off the right flank with his numbers proving to be pretty astounding over the past year. He sits in the 92nd percentile of all attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe’s top-five leagues for live (open play) shot-creating actions per 90 minutes (3.3), 94th percentile for progressive passes (5.82 per 90) and 98th percentile for xG (0.55 per 90).

For me, Berardi is the perfect candidate. While he isn’t the most athletic, he’s certainly a savvy creator who’s capable of hugging the right touchline and occupying the right half-space. The stats depict the Italian to be a high-volume shooter and perennial ball-progressor, as well as one of Europe’s most prolific playmakers.

Crucially, he doesn’t mind getting stuck in out of possession either. Berardi’s 2.52 combined tackles and interceptions and 16.07 pressures per 90 minutes are both respectable. His injury record is also pretty clean.

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