Thiago Motta is at the heart of major changes for Juventus, and with a squad overhaul, Wayne Girard writes that Nicolás González is the picture-perfect player for ‘Mottaball,’ furthered by an experienced Serie A defender in Pierre Kalulu.
You would be challenged to think of a summer where Juventus had a greater transition. Manager Max Allegri has departed the club after his second stint, not without controversy, and in steps one of the most intriguing managers on the rise with Thiago Motta. There’s been a major selloff of Juve’s Next Gen academy, with Matías Soulé heading to Roma, Dean Hujsen moving to England along with Samuel Iling-Junior and Enzo Barrenechea, while even Kaio Jorge has brought in a decent sum to complement Moise Kean’s permanent transfer to Fiorentina. Adrien Rabiot led the midfield last season, and even he remains without a club, while Federico Chiesa’s transfer saga sees him frozen out of the squad.
While there’s been a few revered prospects lost in that lot, the Old Lady has waved her cane forward, signing Douglas Luiz to raise the bar at the centre of the pitch. His counterpart, Khéphren Thuram, adds tenacity in front of the defence, with Juan Cabal helping out on the left flank and Michele Di Gregorio as a fresh face between the posts. With Teun Koopmeiners’ signature likely to arrive by the end of the transfer window, it leaves just the right-wing forward position in need of new energy, and depth for the centre-backs.
Milan ‘must talk’ to Kalulu before possible Juventus transfer
Now as sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli has all but confirmed Nicolás González from Fiorentina and Milan’s Pierre Kalulu, bringing in a wealth of experience with 200 Italian club appearances between the two of them, with both players having their best years ahead of them. But more than just being shiny new arrivals who please the fans, these two players are the exact profiles Motta needs to play, well, Mottaball.
In order to understand exactly how they’ll be used by the Brazilian-born Italian, we must use his precedent at Bologna. On the Rossoblu’s flank, Riccardo Orsolini has achieved the two best seasons of his career under the manager’s guidance. While he was always a decent winger, it’s Motta’s big switch tactic that unleashed the 27-year-old’s true potential. With overloads on the opposite flank, Orsolini used that space to ply his one-on-one skills, often beating his mark. González will be ruthless when given this type of space – often required to track back for the Viola, he was remarkably still the club’s leading scorer with 12 goals and was involved in 23% of Fiorentina’s total league goals.
What could reshape Juve’s attack though, is if Gonzalez is played more in a ‘Zirkzee’ fashion, dropping back as a false nine with more forward players either overlapping or static. With Dušan Vlahović, he’d be feeding an elite striker that could become a brilliant tandem with Koopmeiners providing the creative muscle behind them.
Kalulu meanwhile adds a different type of dynamic from Motta’s centre-backs. A defender with a knack for last-gasp tackles, he could help his team afford a higher line. In possession, his long-range shot is a looming threat from 25 yards out, of which he’s proved three times. His sale has been a bit of a split decision for Milan fans, with some seeing him having great upside, while others lament he’s only had one strong half-season during his entire time in the fashion capital. Either way, it’s a low-risk move for the Bianconeri, as the option will be below €20m.