Serie A giants Juventus are crying out for a winger like Arsenal and Premier League superstar Bukayo Saka but the England international is simply too expensive.
That is the assessment of Giovanni Galeone, the former Udinese and Napoli coach reacting as Juventus fell 15 points adrift of runaway leaders Inter Milan at the top of Serie A after extending a miserable run of one win in just six league games.
The Bianconeri have scored only eight goals in those six matches too, with Galeone feeling that Massimiliano Allegri’s side are being hamstrung by a lack of creativity and a dearth of ball-carriers in the wide areas.
How Juventus, he argues, could do with a footballer as electrifying as Bukayo Saka, Arsenal’s number seven taking his extraordinary tally of goals and assists to 31 during a scintillating performance in Monday’s 6-0 dismantling of Sheffield United.
Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka is in amazing form
“Max (Allegri) doesn’t have much technical quality available to develop a certain type of game,” Galeone tells Tuttosport. “He has players with strength and power like (Federico) Chiesa, when he’s fit, and (Filip) Kostic.
“On the wings, he doesn’t have players who can easily beat a he man and have great dribbling (skills) to create numerical superiority. For Juve, (Bayern Munich’s Serge) Gnabry or Saka would be perfect.
“But they cost (too much).”
According to Corriere dello Sport, Juventus have just £50 million to spend over the summer. You’d be lucky to get Saka’s supposedly weaker right boot for such a sum these days. A Juve side who have made a habit of dipping into the free-agent market could do so again, then, with one-time West Ham misfit Felipe Anderson entering the final few months of his Lazio contract.
Juventus eye former West Ham United forward
“A good player,” Galeone adds. “(Anderson) would be useful to them, even if he is already 30 years old. Maybe we can find someone younger around Europe.”
Saka has ever scored or set up a goal in eight successive Premier League games now. The division’s form team are still third but only two points off the top ahead of Saturday’s clash with Thomas Frank’s inconsistent Brentford outfit.
Arsenal, meanwhile, are interested in one of Juventus’ current stars.
HITC Football understands that Dusan Vlahovic – who was also a target for The Gunners before his £70 million move to Turin from Fiorentina – remains on the radar two years on.
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