To many, Juventus have the annoying habit of hoarding the best talent in Italy. They’ve done that on a consistent basis. But perhaps, that is why they’re a more financially stable team in Italy than anyone else. But their latest links with Riccardo Orsolini are more than just about hoarding talent and selling them for a profit.
SportItalia (via Juvefc) have said that the bianconeri will try to bring Orsolini back in the summer. While the 23-year-old Italian did join Bologna on a permanent basis in the summer of 2019, Juve had the option to buy him back in his current rossoblu contract. Leading online German bookmaker wetttippsheute are also suggesting that the move is likely to happen sooner rather than later.
A potential €25 million fee means that this won’t be a signing done for mere profit. If the fee was low, it would have made sense to think so. But as things stand, a move for Orsolini will make sense for Juve considering where they stand.
This season, the Italy international has been one of the best players under Sinisa Mihajlovic. He has a tally of six goals and five assists in 22 games. Last season, he had scored eight times and had four assists in 35 games. That number is good enough for not just Bologna, but for many bigger clubs too.
Playing as a right-winger, Orsolini has come up with huge glimpses of his directness. He has a tally of 1.7 key passes per game, completing 1.5 dribbles per game. Both of them are the highest in the current side. He also takes 2.5 shots per game- the second-highest in the side.
All that shows that like new Juve signing Dejan Kulusevski, Orsolini has a final product to his dribbles. He’s a flair player who- like Kulusevski, can play in any attacking position. Be it central midfield, right-wing, left-wing or upfront, Orsolini can be an option for any position.
The dynamism he brings to the plate can be very crucial for Juve. Under Maurizio Sarri, the side has been drab sometimes. There are more glimpses of Massimiliano Allegri than Sarri. To make his Sarri-ball system look more pleasing on the eye, the team needs the flair of Orsolini, Kulusevski and Paulo Dybala.
With Federico Bernardeschi struggling, there is a chance for Orsolini in that team. He’s yet to score or assist even once in the Serie A, with his only goal in the season coming in the UEFA Champions League against Bayer Leverkusen. The poor performances have seen him get linked with a move away from Juve in recent weeks.
The manner in which his trajectory at the club has gone, his career has been stalling at Juve. He needs a move on to resurrect his career and get the spark back. Douglas Costa isn’t getting any younger with every passing day either.
The contracts of Blaise Matuidi and Sami Khedira run out in the summer of 2020. Both have taken criticism this season for their inability to be dynamic enough for a technical Sarri system.
In Juve’s 4-3-1-2 shape under Sarri, Cristiano Ronaldo, Gonzalo Higuain and Paulo Dybala have been regulars in a fluid front three. Miralem Pjanic has been a regular defensive midfielder, with Rodrigo Bentancur, Aaron Ramsey and Adrien Rabiot the other reliable options for the systems.
It shows that there is need for more options in that side. They need more players who would fit into the Sarri system and add more creativity to the side.
That lack of creativity has seen Juve struggle to win games. They’ve won games by one-goal margins, running close to dropping points. That has happened against Genoa, Verona, Brescia, Sampdoria, Torino and Bologna themselves. They’ve had very close games in which the team has looked uninspiring.
Dynamic and flair players like Orsolini can change that. They need a solution to this problem as soon as possible.
