Why 2015/16 Is the Season Kingsley Coman Will Break Out at Juventus

Much has been said and written about the changes forced upon Juventus this summer, with the possible effects of their various arrivals and departures debated endlessly after Andrea Pirlo, Arturo Vidal and Carlos Tevez all decided to move on.

The departure of that trio of stars means there is little doubt the Bianconeri will be a radically altered side in 2015/16, but their first official game of the new campaign had a number of parallels to last season.

Indeed, it was impossible not to see their similarities between last weekend’s 2-0 Italian Super Cup win over Lazio—analysed in detail here—and their Coppa Italia final victory against the same opponents back in May.

The game was another example of the gulf in quality between the Turin giants and their domestic opponents, while the starting XI also had a familiar feeling to one from a year ago. Just as he did in the opening game of 2014/15 against Chievo, Massimiliano Allegri opted to give Kingsley Coman a place in the side from the outset.

On both occasions, his presence was hugely indicative of the faith the Juventus coach has in the French striker, who made the move to Italy following the end of his contract with Paris Saint-Germain last summer.

He was vastly underused at the Parc des Princes, making just three career appearances for a total of 41 minutes, yet had a difficult choice to make when a raft of clubs approached him once he became a free agent.

"Newcastle, Arsenal and Tottenham were interested in me," Coman told the Corriere dello Sport (h/t ESPN FC). "But I chose to join Juventus because of their history. It was the club of (Michel) Platini, (Zinedine) Zidane and (David) Trezeguet."

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That decision clearly paid dividends, however. Allegri was impressed by the player's effort, and Coman made 19 further appearances in his debut campaign on the peninsula. Noting the impression created by Eden Hazard at Lille and Paul Pogba at Juventus, Stephan Lichtsteiner could also see similar promise in his new team-mate.

“Players like this are not like fish in the sea,” the Swiss star told me in an interview for the Independent back in April. “But Kingsley Coman has all the attributes to eventually be a very good striker.”

While he scored just one goal for the Bianconeri—netting in a 6-1 rout of Hellas Verona—the 19-year-old showed what he is capable of, regularly displaying his blistering pace and ability to beat defenders whenever he stepped on the field.

According to statistics from Squawka, Coman was successful in 65 per cent of the take-ons he attempted, and his style of play could be essential in increasing his playing time this season. While Paulo Dybala is clearly going to be ahead of him in the pecking order, it is difficult to see how two of Mario Mandzukic, Alvaro Morata and Simone Zaza can fit together.

That arguably leaves Coman as Allegri’s first alternative to Dybala, and his two assists in his limited outings last term offered added promise. So too did the fact he started in the Super Cup, following on as it did from his substitute appearance during the defeat to Barcelona in the Champions League final.

According to L’Equipe, Bayern Munich have shown an interest in him (h/t Football Italia), as Pep Guardiola appears convinced that he would be a valuable addition. But for now, Coman's future almost certainly remains in the black-and-white stripes alongside some of Italy's brightest talent, including Daniele Rugani and Stefano Sturaro (the latter discussed in depth here).

Serie A’s most successful club is clearly planning for the future, and Kingsley Coman is now perhaps set for a breakout season at Juventus.