Former Juventus defender Medhi Benatia has claimed Miralem Pjanic wants to 'stay in Turin' and that the forced 'break will do him good', admitting 'he was really tired'.
The former Morocco international left Juventus in January 2019 but revealed that he is still in touch with his former teammates at the Allianz Stadium.
Former Juventus defender Medhi Benatia has claimed Miralem Pjanic wants to 'stay in Turin' and that the forced 'break will do him good', admitting 'he was really tired'.
The former Morocco international left Juventus in January 2019 but revealed that he is still in touch with his former teammates at the Allianz Stadium.
The Al Duhail defender also played with Pjanic at Roma and has claimed that the Bosnia-Herzegovina star has suffered from adapting to a new set-up under new coach Maurizio Sarri but insisted the 30-year-old will soon be back firing on all cylinders.
“Before Inter, Mira didn’t feel at his best, but let’s look at how many games he has played,” Benatia told Tuttosport. “He’s among the Bianconeri players with the most appearances.
“He has also adapted to a new tactical system and since Sarri came, Juventus have often played with a trequartista behind the two strikers.
“He had to run a lot, just like [Blaise] Matuidi. Both confessed to me that they were really tired. That’s hard for everyone. Less ball possession and more running. In the end, he injured his adductors.
“I understand that Sarri wants him to play the ball more, but he must be physically well for the team to benefit. Mire is always able to find you in position when the opponents press. He has more quality than the others.
“[Rodrigo] Bentancur has a bright future ahead of him and will become one of the best, but at the moment he is still a step behind.
“Pjanic also self-criticise, he doesn’t get angry if he is replaced knowing he is not playing well. He will try to recover his contribution. He is the first to take it out on himself. At the end of a game I called to compliment him, he was nervous and told me he had played a bad game because he lost possession in two dangerous situations.”
Pjanic has been linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain, but Benatia said that his former teammate has not indicated that he would like to move away from Turin, but 'quite the contrary'.
“This break will do him good; he can return to be the best in Italy and among the best in the world.”
“He still has three years left on his contract and he’s fine at Juventus, but it’s true that he has the possibility to leave in every transfer market,” Benatia added. “PSG are interested in him, earlier, even Real Madrid was looking at him but, in the end, he extended with the Bianconeri.
“His love for Juventus prevailed, where he feels confident. In the dressing room he is one of the senators, he knows how to make himself heard and respected.
“Then, we know, situations can change, the club can decide to sell him. But if it depends on the player, he will stay in Turin. He has never told me that he wants to change environment, quite the contrary.
“With Juve, he changed his mentality, now he plays to win, always.”