Mario Mandzukic to Juventus: Latest Transfer Details, Reaction and More
Mario Mandzukic has officially completed hisย move from Atletico Madrid to Juventus, penning a four-year deal with the Italian champions.
Confirmation of the switch came courtesy of the Juventus Twitter feed:
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The striker joins the Turin giants after a solitary season in Spain with the Rojiblancos. But despite bagging 20 goals for Atletico last season, per WhoScored.com, the Madrid club have decided to let the Croatian forward depart.
Itโs the third transfer in four seasons for the 29-year-old and as we can see here, courtesy of Bleacher Report UK, his movements have followed a rather peculiar pattern:
Although Mandzukic didnโt show his very best form at the Vicente Calderon, heโs now got another chance to thrive with one of Europe's most prestigious teams.
He is a dynamic talent and his hold-up play is a tremendous foil for intricate players.ย Mandzukicโs awesome work rate will also help compensate for the industrious void left by Carlos Tevez, who is poised to leave Juventus according to ESPNFC.co.uk.
But there are a few stylistic conflicts between the Croatian and his new side. Mandzukic is superb in the air and thrives off crosses, but Bianconeri boss Massimiliano Allegri played primarily with a diamond last season, meaning devilish deliveries into the box could well be in short supply.
Itโs something Bleacher Reportโs tactical whizz Sam Tighe has also picked up on:
Nonetheless, there will be a responsibility on Mandzukic at the forefront of this Juve side. With Tevez almost certainly leaving and rumours also prominent about the future of Fernando Llorente, perย Jason Burt of the Daily Telegraph, the former Atletico man is likely to be the senior member of a new-look strike force in Turin.
With Paulo Dybala and Alvaro Morata already in situ, Mandzukic will know that if he doesnโt perform to his best, he could quickly find himself on the bench. Itโs a healthy competition Juve seem to have all over their squad and it will go a long way to keeping performance levels high despite the domestic monopoly theyโve possessed in recent years.
Itโs crucial, though, that Juventus do find a way of accentuating the strengths of this rumbustious striker even if that means making minor tweaks to their playing style. Otherwise this acquisition is a rather peculiar one.
