Fl-aħħar ta’ dan ix-xahar jiġu fi tmiem numru ta’ kuntratti ta’ self ta’ plejers mingħand u lil Juventus.

F’uħud mill-każi, dan se jkun ifisser ċans illi niksbu lura il-prestazzjonijiet sportivi ta’ plejers wara li għamlu żmien jżidu fl-esperjenza ma’ timijiet oħra. F’każijiet oħra dan ifisser xogħol għal Cherubini u d-dipartiment mmexxi minnu sabiex isib mod kif jew ibiegħhom jew jerġa jibgħathom b’self f’xi club ieħor. Hemm ukoll dawk illi kienu mislufin lilna u issa trid tittieħed deċiżjoni x’ser isir minnhom?

F’dan l-artiklu se nagħti ħarsa lejn dawn il-kuntratti ta’ self li jiskadu propju fl-aħħar ta’ dan ix-xahar.

Luca Pellegrini (Left Back) : Għandu 22 sena u kien misluf lil Genoa. Fejn ġie msejjaħ għal-logħob 14 –il darba u lagħab 11 –il darba. Pellegrini huwa wieħed minn dawk il-plejers ili madwarhom hemm ċertu aspettattivi iżda li s’issa għad irid juri il-veru valur tiegħu. Meta wieħed iqis li l-uniċi left backs ta’ Juventus bħalissa huma Alex Sandro u Frabotta, jista’ jkun illi wieħed jipprova jara kif imur imqar fil-pre-season qabel ma jneħħieh. Naturalment, dejjem jekk ma jsirx investiment fi plejers tajjeb f’din il-posizzjoni.

Mattia De Sciglio (Right Back): Lura wara li kien misluf lil Olympique Lyon kinn Ottubru li għadda, mhux xi sigriet illi huwa meqjus ħafna minn Allegri. Dan jaf iwassal biex jibqa’ anki jekk hu stess sa ftit ilu kien ħabba li xtaq jibqa’ mat-tim Franċiż fejn lagħab 29 mid-29 logħba li għalihom kien imsejjaħ. Naturalment jekk jibqa’ ikollu jissielet għal post ma’ Danilo u Cuadrado.

Mattia Perin (Goalkeeper) : Għalkemm kien imsemmi biex jieħu post Buffon bħala t-tieni goalkeeper, ma jidhirx li jixtieq iqatta’ l-biċċa l-kbira tal-logħob fuq il-bank u għalhekk, wisq probabbli, jinbiegħ għal kollox. Huwa qed jirritorna minn ma’ Genoa fejn lagħab 32 mill-34 logħba li kien imsejjaħ għalihom.

Daniele Rugani (Centre Back) : Wara li qatta’nofs l-aħħar staġun ma’ Cagliari fejn lagħab 16 minn 18 –il logħba li għalihom kien imsejjaħ, Rugani jirritorna bit-tama li jerġa jikseb il-fiduċja ta’ Allegri speċjalment meta jidher illi Demiral mhux mistenni li jinżamm u Chiellini u Bonucci qegħdin dejjem joqorbu lejn tmiem l-karriera tagħhom. Naturament De Ligt huwa punt fiss f’din il-posizzjoni u wieħed irid jara x’ser isir minn Dragusin.

Marco Pjaca (Left Wing) : Għal darb’oħra lura fl-iskwadra wara li għal darb’oħra kien misluf. Pjaca li l-ikbar għadu tiegħu kienu l-injuries jibqa’ plejer illi qatta ma laħaq l-aspettativi tiegħu u mistenni jerġa jħalli lit-tim din id-darba probabbilment b’mod definittiv. Fl-aħħar staġun kien misluf lil Genoa fejn lagħab 35 darba u skurja 3 gowls.

Stefano Gori (Goalkeeper): Għandu 25 sena u qed jirritorna minn self ma’ Pisa minn Jannar li għadda. Għat-tim mit-Toscana huwa lagħab19 –il darba mill-21 darba li kien imsejjaħ. Wisq probabbli jerġa jiġi ċedut.

Hans Nicolussi Caviglia (Central Midfelder) : Forsi wieħed mill-iktar promettenti li qed jirritornaw mis-self u li diġà għamlu d-debut tagħhom mat-tim tal-kbar tal-Juventus. Għandu 20 sena u kien misluf lil Parma fejn iżda ma lagħab qatt minkejja li ssejjaħ għal 7 darbiet. Jista’ jkun illi jerġa jiġi misluf bit-tama li jikseb iktar esperjenza.

Imbagħad hemm dawk li kienu mislufin għand Juventus u li s-self tagħhom jiskadi ukoll fl-aħħar ta’ dan ix-xahar. Dawn huma:

Alvaro Morata (Centre Forward): Misluf lil Juventus mingħand Atletico Madrid għat-tieni esperjenza tiegħu mal-bianconeri, kien imsejjaħ 33 darba minn Pirlo fl-aħħar staġun fejn lagħab 32 darba u skurja 11 –il goal. Minkejja ċerta kritika fil-konfront tiegħu )fl-opinjoni tiegħi anki inġusta) skurja gowls deċiżivi u jidher li Juventus se jġeddu s-self tiegħu għal sena oħra.

Weston McKennie (Central Midfielder): Big Mac kif inhu mlaqqam misluf lil Juve mingħand Schalke skurja 5 gowls fl-34 logħba li lagħab (kien imsejjaħ 36 darba). Kellu bidu tal-istaġun tajjeb ħafna u mbagħad bejn minħabba il-COVID u bejn injuries u anki bravata li għamel naqqas xi ftit mill-impatt iżda naħseb li jimmerita li jkompli jingħata ċans u wisq probabbli hekk ser ikun.

Naturalment hemm players oħra mislufin iżda li l-kuntratt tagħhom jiskadi s-sena d-dieħla bħal ngħidu aħna Romero (misluf lil Atalanta) u Chiesa misluf lil Juvetus mingħand Fiorentina imma dwar dawn ikollna ċans nitkellmu. Ta’ min iżid li f’Mejju skada wkoll is-self ta’ Douglas Costa lil Bayern Munich imma dan ġie ċedut minnufih lil Gremio b’self sa Ġunju 2022.

Naturalment kultant min jislef jitlef u din taf taħdem kemm favur (per eżempju jekk eventwalment Morata jibqa’ ma’ Juventus) u kemm kontra (bħal ngħidu aħna Juventus jitilfu lil Romero għal kollox. Nistennew u naraw.

Who ventures to lend…loses money and friend?

The end of this month will see the end of a number of loan agreements from and to Juventus.

In some of the cases, this will mean a chance to win back the sporting services of players who are returning after having gained experience with other teams. In other cases this will mean more work for Cherubini and the department he leads to try and find a club to sell them to or transfer them on loan once again. There are also those players on loan at Juventus and about whom a decision must be taken.

In this article, we will be taking a look at the loans expiring at the end of this month.

Luca Pellegrini (Leftt Back) : The 22 year old was on loan at Genoa where he received 14 call-ups and played 11 times. Pelelgrini is one of those players who generated great expectations but has still to prove his worth. When one considers that the only left backs in the Juve squad at the moment are Alex Sandro and Frabotta, one might consider testing him during the pre-season at least, before letting him go. This obviously depends on whether Juve decide to invest on an already established player in this role.

Mattia De Sciglio (Right Back): After having been on loan at Olympique Lyon since October 2020, the player returns to find Allegri once again. It is no secret that the coach has a soft spot for this player. This might lead to De Sciglio being retained at Juventus however the former Italian international has stated he would like to remain in Lyon where he played 29 out of the 29 games he was called-up for. If he stays he will have to compete for a place in the starting line-up with Danilo and Cuadrado.

Mattia Perin (Goalkeeper): Although there were rumours of him taking up Buffon’s place as second keeper, he doesn’t seem to want to spend most of the matches seated on the bench and hence he will be probably sold. He is returning from a loan to Genoa where he played in 32 out of the 34 matches he was called-up for.

Daniele Rugani (Centre Back): After having spent half the season with Cagliari where he played in 16 out of the 18 games he was called-up for, Rugani returns with the hope of convincing Allegri to retain him especially since it seems that Demiral is on his way out and Chiellini and Bonucci are at nearing the end of their career. Obviously, De Ligt is immovable in this position and one must see what is to become of Dragusin.

Marco Pjaca (Left Wing): Once again back with the squad after once again he was sent on loan. Pjaca, who’s main nemesis are his injuries, remains a player who never reached the level expected of him and is expected to once again leave the team, this time most probably on a definite basis. Last season he played 35 times for Genoa scoring 3 goals.

Stefano Gori (Goalkeeper): He is 25 years old and is returning from a loan to Pisa since last January. He played 19 times out of the 21 times he was called-up by the Tuscan side. He will most probably once again be transferred away from Turin.

Hans Nicolussi Caviglia (Central Midfelder): Perhaps one of the most promising to return from his loan and who has already made his debut with Juve’s first team. He is 20 years old and was on loan at Parma where he did not make any appearances notwithstanding being called-up 7 times. H might be once again sent away on loan in the hope of helping him gain more experience.

We move to those players who were on loan at Juventus and will see their loan expiring at the end of this month. Namely:

Alvaro Morata (Centre Forward): On loan at Juventus from Atletico Madrid in what is his second stint in Turin, he was called-up 33 times by Pirlo and played 32 times scoring 11 goals. Notwithstanding a certain amount of criticism received (in my opinion unjust criticism) he scored important goals and it seems like Juventus will be extending his loan for at least another year.

Weston McKennie (Central Midfielder): Big Mac, as he has been nicknamed was on loan from Schalke. He scored 5 goals in 34 matches (he was called-up 36 times). He had a great start to the season and a not so great second part partially due to COVID, injuries and a clandestine dinner. Having said this he definitely deserves to have his loan extended and probably it will.

Obviously, there are other players on loan but their contract expires next year such as Romero (on loan at Atalanta) and Chiesa (on loan from Fiorentina) but he will speak of these on other occasions. One must also add, that last May saw the expiry of Douglas Costa’s loan to Bayern Munich but the Brazilian was once again sent away on loan this time to Brazilian side Gremio until June 2022.

As the saying goes sometimes who ventures to lend, loses money and friend. This works both in favour (for instance if Morata eventually had to remain at Juventus – our gain, their loss) and against (if Juventus had to lose Romero to Atalanta on a definite basis). We’ll just have to wait and see.