Massimiliano Allegri Talks Juventus Midfield Options Amid Aaron Ramsey Rumours
January 11, 2019
Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri has appeared to cast doubt on rumours linking the club with Arsenal's Aaron Ramsey by saying he is happy with his current options.
Ramsey is out of contract at the end of the season and has been heavily linked with a free transfer to Juve, with whom he can now sign a pre-contract agreement because they're an overseas club.
However, per the Mirror's Liam Prenderville, Allegri said: "I can already rely on five top midfielders. They are so good that I need nobody."
The Welshman was on the verge of joining the Bianconeri earlier in the week, according to football journalist Fabrizio Romano:
Juventus currently have Miralem Pjanic, Rodrigo Bentancur, Emre Can, Sami Khedira and Blaise Matuidi in their ranks.
The latter two will both be 32 in April, though, so 28-year-old Ramsey would be a more youthful option who's still in his prime.
Arsenal's decision to let him leave for nothing remains a mystifying one, as he has contributed a great deal since he joined the club back in 2008:
He still remains one of their most productive players to this day:
WhoScored.com @WhoScoredAaron Ramsey: Since the start of the 2017/18 Premier League season, only Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (31) and Alexandre Lacazette (30) have had a direct hand in more goals than Ramsey (23) of all Arsenal players For more player stats -- https://t.co/BkXm3w9MXo https://t.co/tG8r9YyGsZ
Aside from Pjanic's threat from free-kicks and long distance, Juventus don't generate an enormous amount of goals or assists from midfield.
Of the 47 goals Juventus have scored in Serie A and the UEFA Champions League this season, Cristiano Ronaldo, Paulo Dybala and Mario Mandzukic have been responsible for 31.
Juve are nine points clear in the league and won their group in Europe, so they're evidently faring well as they are, but having another source of goals and creativity in the team will do no harm, particularly in what would be a bargain free transfer.
However, based on Allegri's comments, there may yet be a twist in the tale.