It took three long years, but finally Juventus fans can rejoice the team’s capture of a “top player.”
When Juventus sporting director Giuseppe Marotta was first employed by the Old Lady back in 2010, he made many claims of bringing in a “top player.” The 2011-12 Serie A season brought joy to the club’s fans despite no arrival of a “top player,” as Juventus went undefeated in capturing the Scudetto.
In the off-season, Marotta continued in his search. That summer rumours swirled of Robin van Persie making a move to Turin, as Juventus looked to bolster its squad ahead of the Champions League. However, a move for RVP never came to fruition and Juventus settled on a loan deal for another Arsenal striker, Niklas Bendtner.
With the 2012-13 season now in the rear-view mirror, and another league championship in hand, Juventus continued their search. The arrival of Athletic Bilbao striker Fernando Llorente via a free transfer was announced mid-season, but this was still not enough for Juventus or their fans. The search continued for a “top player.”
Then came rumblings of Juventus making a move for Carlos Tevez. He was nearing the end of his contract at Manchester City, and looking for a new home. At first glance, the transfer seemed improbable. A large fee, coupled with enormous wages, was something foreign to the current Juventus management.
Also, the thought of Tevez with the bianconeri divided opinion among Juventus fans for many of the same reasons James Sharman mentioned in his latest blog for sportsnet.ca.
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A genius on the pitch, Tevez also has a hint of lunacy. No surprise, then, that many have asked whether the Argentine attacker will fit in at Juventus.
On the pitch, there is no doubt Tevez is perfect for coach Antonio Conte’s system. He will leave no blade of grass unturned as he has the work ethic to keep up with the rest of the hard-working teammates. He instantly steps into the squad as the most technically gifted player.
There is also no doubting his goal-scoring ability, as Tevez scored 73 times over the course of his stay at Manchester City. He will have no issues linking up with teammates, and will ably provide scoring chances for Llorente, as he did with Edin Dzeko at City.
But it’s Tevez’s off-the-field antics that Juventus needs to worry about. We know that Conte won’t stand for any player putting himself ahead of the club, something Tevez will have to adjust to. However, there is already evidence that “Carlito’s Way” will not be the way he chooses to go this time around, at least in the short-term.
There is no question Tevez was wanted by other clubs. His agent came out and said big spenders Monaco and Anzhi were among the other parties interested in him. Surely he would have made oodles and oodles of extra cash with either one of those two outfit, but instead he chose to take a pay cut for a stint in Turin.
At the age of 29, it would appear Tevez has finally matured and is ready to get down to work.
There’s no doubt he is a “top player,” and having brought him in on the cheap is the first step for Juventus to integrate Tevez into the squad. It was a brilliant piece of business involving a brilliant player.
Now it’s up to Carlos Tevez to live up to his end of the bargain.
Dan Riccio is the host of the European Football Weekly podcast on Sportsnet 590 The FAN. Listen to the podcast HERE and follow Dan on Twitter.