Miralem Pjanic to Juventus: Latest Transfer Details, Reaction and More

Miralem Pjanic has completed his transfer from AS Roma to Juventus, putting pen to paper on a five-year deal with his new club:  

The 26-year-old’s switch was finalised on Monday by Juventus, with the Bosnia and Herzegovina star moving for €32 million.

Juventus will be delighted to have secured the services of a player who has already cemented his reputation as one of the best playmakers in European football.

Here is a look at what he can offer:

Pjanic has blossomed at the Stadio Olimpico since moving from Lyon in 2011, becoming the creative fulcrum of the side. The midfielder is a wonderful technician, capable of dictating the course of a match with his brilliant passing range when given space and able to wriggle away from trouble with his quick feet when under pressure.

In a Roma side that has occasionally threatened to end Juventus’ domestic dominance, Pjanic has been the driving force. He has shown versatility in terms of where he features, able to play in withdrawn, orthodox and advanced central-midfield positions. The Bosnian also has a penchant for the spectacular, especially when it comes to set pieces.

Marco Luzzani/Getty Images

That’s an area in which ESPN FC’s David Amoyal feels as though Juventus have deteriorated since the departure of some key men:

While Roma are a massive club in their own right, Pjanic has the talent to play for a team that’s challenging for the top honours both domestically and in Europe.

The Giallorossi looked as though they were capable of bursting into life at times during the midfielder’s five years there, but his qualities never seemed to be sufficiently supplemented.

During 2015-16 in particular, Pjanic did plenty to push his side up the table. As these numbers from OptaPaolo showcase, the Bosnia man was a huge threat in the final third with his ability to create and score goals:

These attributes will be a huge boost to Juve. Not only have they improved themselves and weakened a key rival with this capture, manager Massimiliano Allegri has found the antidote for a tactical issue the team has. They’ve lacked an advanced midfield player with guile in the final third of the pitch that’ll create consistently.

Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images

Pjanic’s addition would help solve that problem, and alongside men such as Paul Pogba, Sami Khedira and Claudio Marchisio, the potential is there for a formidable midfield in Turin. It’s one that looks capable of giving the Italians a real chance of challenging for the UEFA Champions League next season.

Bleacher Report’s Gianni Verschueren thinks this is a brilliant deal for the Bianconeri:

On the back of this move, there will be more pressure on Pjanic, with a substantial fee paid for his services and high expectations. But his development at Roma, in terms of playing style and personality, has been encouraging.

Juventus will be better off for him being around, too. Footballers who can offer both control and incision on the ball are rare at the highest level, and they’ve managed to ensnare a superb one in Pjanic.