Juventus Should Be Looking at Domenico Berardi in 2016 January Transfer Window

There is little doubt that Juventus enjoyed an excellent summer, with the Italian champions making the best of an impossible situation after a number of high-profile stars opted to leave the club.

Yet there is a lingering feeling that, despite a superb transfer window, a void remains in the attacking midfield role. As discussed in this previous column, the Bianconeri may yet regret not landing Julian Draxler, but the club has the inside track on an ideal alternative to play there.

Juventus identified Domenico Berardi as a star of the future before he ever played a minute in Serie A, taking a co-ownership stake in the player just over two years ago. The practice has now been outlawed, prompting the Turin giants to sell the versatile attacking player to Sassuolo in June, per their official website.

That report shows the Neroverdi paid €10 million for the talented 21-year-old, but it soon came to light that the Serie A champions ensured they retain control of his future. “We have an excellent relationship with Juventus,” Sassuolo CEO Giovanni Carnevali told Radio Crc (h/t Forza Italian Football).

“When the player [Berardi] will be put on the market they will have priority,” he added, and the Bianconeri should strongly consider activating that clause once the transfer window re-opens in January.

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As discussed at length here, Juventus are now hoping that one of two new signings return to their previous excellent form. Juan Cuadrado was a devastating force at Fiorentina, while the Hernanes who controlled games at will for Lazio was among Serie A’s finest players.

Both struggled following high-profile transfers, however, with the former never getting the chance to shine at Chelsea and the latter never performing as well for Inter as he once did in the capital. In contrast, Berardi has been consistently excellent over the past two seasons, and could help Massimiliano Allegri immeasurably if he was brought into the fold.

Possessing a heady combination of skill, pace and personality, he recorded 15 goals and 10 assists last term, following his 2013-14 marks of 16 and six, respectively, a year earlier to draw a comparison with one of world football’s truly great players.

Standing his accomplishments up against those of Lionel Messi is ultimately a foolhardy endeavour with only one outcome, but it does show the impact Berardi has had in his first two years of top-flight football.

Arguably the only knock on him is the fact he has racked up a staggering 23 yellow cards while also being sent off on two occasions in the past two seasons, missing a total of 14 games through suspension.

That is undoubtedly a poor disciplinary record, but entering a dressing room alongside the likes of Gigi Buffon and Andrea Barzagli would likely see his temperament improve quickly.

Squawka.com

Elsewhere, statistics from Squawka.com show his shooting accuracy remains constant—51 percent in 2013/14 and 49 percent last term—while the same source shows he has created 45 clear scoring chances, up from the 41 he made 12 months earlier.

Those figures show that, despite his young age, Berardi is exactly the kind of creative force so evidently lacking in Juve’s opening two games of the season.

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He could learn much about the intricacies of his role from the likes of Cuadrado, while the two together would add another tactical weapon to Allegri’s arsenal.

It would take a little work as both prefer the right flank, but trusting a young forward would also send a strong message; that the club still believes in its prospects despite the sale of Kingsley Coman to Bayern Munich.

They may have opted against it in the summer, but after missing out on a number of important targets, seeing Domenico Berardi pull on the famous black and white stripes might be just the boost Juventus need when January arrives.