Dejan
Kulusevski
(Juventus)
A
fter failing to go beyond the last
eight of the Champions League in
each of the past three seasons, the
OldLadyplainlyneedarebootand
will be banking on the recently-recruited young
Sweden winger to play a full part in that repair
and resuscitate process.
The word in Italy is that Kulusevski was very
close to choosing Internazionale, butJuventus
dug deep to get their man. If all the add-on
clauses are fulfilled, his former club Atalanta
will be€44m richer.Juve, though, will see the
hefty fee as the soundest of investments.
Exhibit A: the 20-year-old’s scintillating
form on loan at Parma last season - scoring
ten league goals and assisting eight - which
earned him the Serie A Young Player of the
Year award.
Exhibit B:
his vast untapped
potential, nurtured
in the Atalanta
academy and
allowed to flourish
on loan at Parma.
Exhibit C: his tremendous versatility, with
excellence as a right-winger, number ten
or second striker.
The early signs are that his new manager,
Andrea Pirlo, will utilise Kulusevski on the right
side of an attacking trident, either in a 3-4-3
or 4-3-3 formation, cutting inside onto his
favoured left foot.
BorninStockholmtoMacedonian parents,
he looks to be made of the right mental stuff,
too. In his first interview as aJuventus player, he
refused to say whether he preferred goals or
assists. “Only victories count. I only play to win.”
That sort of single-minded clarity goes down
very well atJuventus.
Tremendous versatility, with
excellence as a right-winger,
number ten or second strikerBREAKOUT STARS
Josep Martinez
(RB Leipzig)RB are only interested in the continent’s finest
youngsters and such a label definitely applies to
the Spain Under-21 goalkeeper, who recently
pitched up from second division Las Palmas
after learning his craft at Barcelona. Will put
pressure on current No.1 Peter Gulacsi.Sergej Milinkovic-Savic
(Lazio)The towering Serbia midfielder, affectionately
known in the sky blue quarters of Rome as “The
Sergeant”, represents the meat and potatoes of
the Lazio style. Roaming back and forth, he is
an all-day presence, offering power, height,
drive, range of pass and goal threat.Malcom
(Zenit)
To say the least, the Champions League has
not been a happy hunting ground for Brazilian
winger Malcom, restricted to a bit-part role
while at Barcelona in 2018-19 and sidelined
by a hip injury at Zenit last season. If he’s
fit, he should make a huge difference.