Strengths and Weaknesses of Juventus Summer Transfer Signing Simone Zaza

Some of the new arrivals at Juventus have instantly captured widespread attention, landing the likes of World Cup winner Sami Khedira, the excellent Mario Mandzukic and of course their €32 million signing, Paulo Dybala, after his breakout campaign with Palermo.

Yet the Italian champions have also made a number of other excellent acquisitions that have somewhat passed under the radar. Simone Zaza perhaps tops that list, with the Bianconeri having paid his former side, Sassuolo, an €18 million fee to bring the striker to Turin, per the club’s official website.

“Playing for a big club like Juventus is a dream come true for me. Now I need to get my head down and become the top player I aspire to be,” the 24-year-old told reporters at a recent press conference. “It’s a step up I’ve always wanted to make, joining a big club is every player’s ambition, and it’s down to me to prove I’m up to the task.”

It has been a long journey to the top for Zaza, first playing with local sides Stella Azzurra and Valder as a youngster before joining Atalanta in 2006 at the age of 15. He progressed through the ranks, making his first-team debut three years later but struggling to make any impact before eventually moving to Sampdoria.

Marco Vasini/Associated Press

More loan spells followed, spending time at Juve Stabia, Viareggio and Ascoli, scoring 18 times in 35 Serie B appearances for the latter. Juventus finally showed interest after that, spending €2.5 million to co-own Zaza back in July 2013 and sending him to newly promoted Sassuolo in order to give him some much-needed top-flight experience.

That would prove to be the perfect move for the young striker, with coach Eusebio Di Francesco playing a vibrant brand of attacking football that showcased the talents of the exciting group of players at his disposal.

Domenico Berardi has caught more attention than his team-mate, grabbing 32 goals and 17 assists in his first 64 Serie A appearances, but Zaza too has blossomed with the Neroverdi. In 2013/14, he made 24 starts and weighed in with nine goals and a single assist to help the club avoid relegation.

Marco Vasini/Associated Press

He followed that up with 11 goals and two assists this past season, his second campaign proving much tougher for a variety of reasons but still impressing those who monitored his performances closely. Somewhat reminiscent of a young Christian Vieri, he is unafraid of physical battles yet has a delicate first touch that provides a startling contrast to his all-action style of play.

Given that likeness, it is no surprise to see Zaza thrive in the air, with statistics from WhoScored.com showing he won an average of 2.5 aerial duels in 2014/15. That said, it is then striking to discover that just two of his 20 Serie A goals to date have come via his head, highlighting just how good he is on the ball.

Squawka.com

Of the remaining 18 occasions he has found the back of the net in Italy's top flight, all but two have come from left-footed efforts, showing Zaza needs to work on his right in the coming weeks and months. However, as the above graphic—courtesy of Squawka—shows, he has proved to be deadly in front of goal, the same source showing he found the target with 62 per cent of his shot attempts.

That is an impressive strike rate. As the graphic below shows, Zaza scores much higher than his new Juventus team-mates in this aspect of the game. He will perhaps rely upon that given the battle he faces for playing time, and being accurate when chances come his way will be imperative if he is to convince Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri to give him more opportunities.

Squawka.com

Zaza will need to improve his distribution and dribbling if he is to thrive in Turin, however, connecting with just 69.9 per cent of his pass attempts last term, according to that same source. Similarly poor, statistics from Squawka show he completed just 18 of 60 take-ons (30 per cent) in 2014/15, showing he should perhaps not try so many in future.

One other aspect of Zaza’s style that will likely win over his new boss is his defensive effort, with figures from WhoScored.com showing he averaged 0.6 tackles and 0.4 interceptions per game last term. Never giving opposing defenders a moment to settle on the ball, that work rate has been a key factor in his emergence on the international scene, making five appearances for Antonio Conte’s Italy.

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He won a penalty on his debut to help the Azzurri to a 2-0 victory over the Netherlands before scoring his maiden international goal against Norway a few days later. Yet his form—and the ongoing struggles of Fernando Llorente, which were discussed in detail here—saw Zaza strongly linked with a move to Juventus, such as by Italian Football Daily, which clearly took its toll on the player.

Former coach Di Francesco noted how he had been affected by those rumours linking him with a move away from Sassuolo back in January. “I’m not happy with talk surrounding Zaza, it makes him less focused,” the Sassuolo boss said to Sky Sport (h/t Forza Italian Football). The player himself admitted much the same thing to La Presse (h/t Football Italia):

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I really struggled during those moments. I didn’t want to know anything that was happening. I was isolated and tried to focus only on doing well for Sassuolo, but whether you want to or not, these things get into your brain.

That week we played against Cagliari and I have to admit I wasn’t concentrated. My head wasn’t in the right place.

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While that will now obviously no longer be a distraction, Zaza will also have to channel his on-field aggression in a positive manner, with Opta noting in the tweet below that he received more yellow cards for dissent than any other player in Serie A last season.

In addition, figures from WhoScored.com show only two players—Stefano Okaka of Sampdoria (3.3) and Cesena’s Carlos Carbonero (2.8)—committed more fouls per game than Zaza (2.6).

He will also need to learn to adapt to prolonged spells out of the team, given the wealth of attacking options the Bianconeri has in the form of Kingsley Coman, Dybala, Llorente, Mandzukic and Alvaro Morata.

“Competition for places doesn’t frighten me, it’s something I was already prepared for when coming to Juventus,” he said at his aforementioned press conference. “I’m ready to show people what I’ve got to offer.”

He will need to be, but if Simone Zaza can improve on those weaknesses, the Old Lady will have made yet another smart acquisition.