How Would AS Roma's Miralem Pjanic Fit into the Juventus Midfield?

While a revitalised Napoli were Juventus' closest challengers in the 2015/16 season, the past three Serie A seasons have undoubtedly seen AS Roma establish themselves as the Bianconeri's most stable domestic rival.

But after finishing the previous two years as runners-up, the side from the capital grew stale in the middle of this campaign, prompting them to part ways with French coach Rudi Garcia back in January.

They improved immediately following the appointment of former boss Luciano Spalletti and almost recaptured second place, making it somewhat jarring to see one of their best players linked strongly with a summer move to Juventus.

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Yet that is exactly what has happened, with Miralem Pjanic being widely discussed as a potential target for the Turin giants when the transfer window officially opens. Mediaset (h/t Football Italia) reported last week that Juventus were willing to meet a €38 million release clause in the midfielder’s contract, seeking to capture a key member of the Lupi squad.

In identifying the Bosnia native as a player Bianconeri boss Massimiliano Allegri is desperate to sign, Football Italia stated that the Old Lady was likely looking to get ahead of Barcelona, Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea, all of whom were also interested in Pjanic.

Yet the rumours were strongly denied by Roma, who issued a statement via their own official website insisting the story—which had been fuelled by an interview the man himself had given just a few weeks earlier—was “completely groundless.”

“In the world of football, it is normal that rumours come from the media. It is something that I’m used to,” Pjanic told reporters in Bosnia back in March (h/t Gazzetta World). “However, if a club is really interested in me then I’m sure that they can come to a deal, something could happen.”

While it's difficult to understand just how determined Juventus are to strike a deal, the reasons for wanting to sign the 26-year-old are much easier to comprehend. The club may have just won a fifth consecutive Serie A title with a promising young team, but a creative midfielder who can split open the toughest defences would be an invaluable addition.

Pjanic has shown this term that he is capable of that, weighing in with 10 league goals and a league-high 12 assists. Netting on two occasions in the Champions League, his deadly accuracy from set pieces—from which he both scores and creates chances for others—would undoubtedly be a major boost to Juventus.

According to WhoScored.com, the former Olympique Lyonnais star’s average of 65.5 passes per game ranked seventh amongst all Serie A midfielders this term, and he connected with an impressive 84.9 percent of those attempts.

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Of that group, only Marek Hamsik (11) had recorded more than four assists, with WhoScored.com also showing the Napoli captain was the only player on the peninsula to create more clear goalscoring opportunities (2.5 per game) than Pjanic (2.4).

The Roma man—who has played both behind the strikers and in a deep-lying playmaker role—still does his share of defensive work too, with WhoScored.com showing he has registered averages of 1.4 tackles, 1.5 interceptions and 0.8 clearances per game in 2015/16.

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Quick, inventive and competitive, signing Pjanic would likely push Juventus to move to a four-man defence permanently, with him playing in an advanced role in support of Paulo Dybala and Alvaro Morata, whose pace is vital on Champions League nights.

With Claudio Marchisio, Paul Pogba and Sami Khedira behind them—plus Stephan Lichtsteiner and Alex Sandro providing support from the flanks, Allegri would arguably have a team perfectly suited to Europe’s elite competition.