Juventus have confirmed the signing of Polish international goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny from Arsena.
The 27-year-old was long expected to replace Norberto Neto who left for Valencia last month, and Juve officially confirmed Szczesny’s signing earlier today.
The former Roma keeper joins Juve on a four-year contract for a fee of up to €15.3m and a press release on the clubs official site confirmed the details:
Juventus Football Club S.p.A.announces that the agreement with The Arsenal Football Club Plc for the definitive acquisition of the registration rights of the player Wojciech Szczęsny has been finalized for a consideration of € 12.2 million payable in 2 financial years. The purchase value may increase of maximum € 3.1 million on achieving given conditions in the course of the duration of the contract. Juventus and the player have signed a 4-year contract ofemployment until 30 June 2021
Szczesny gave his first press confernce as a Juventus player and explained how he had been waiting to complete the move for the last three months.
“I’m very happy to be here, I was expecting this day to come for two or three months,” he began.
“Have I talked to Buffon? Yes, he’s a very nice guy. I’m happy that I can train with him, he’ll be a very important person for me.
“I’m ready to play whenever I’m needed. I’ll make myself available, it won’t be a choice that bothers me, whether I play or not.
“Pressure of being Buffon’s deputy? I’m very lucky and I don’t feel the pressure. I think I can play at high levels and I’m not worried.
“I had two fantastic years at Roma and I’m grateful to the Giallorossi, but I can only say that I’m happy to be here now.
“What I can learn from Buffon? He’s a real leader in the dressing room. In football, there are no limits, there are only margins for improvement.
“At Roma, I learned how different training is from England. I hope to learn a lot about Juventus from a player like Buffon.
“Juve have chosen me, and I’m absolutely ready to face this challenge. And Juventus are the right choice.
“Allegri? I only greeted him this morning, I’ll have time to meet him properly. I want to win, I’m here to do it.
“It’s a step forward in my career, I’m 27 and I want to win. At Juve there’s the right mentality to achieve great objectives.
“Juve deserve to win the Champions League and a player like Buffon deserves to win it.
“Juventus are always pushing to win trophies, and they have the right mentality to win trophies.
“Manolas at Juve? This is my presentation, I’m not here to talk about anything else.
“ Glik? He told me very beautiful things about the city of Turin. Roma? They knew about the interest in me and my possible transfer. They were prepared for it in good time.
“I’m also here because, over time, I’ve seen that many players at Juventus have improved. It’ll also be my objective to improve.
“Have I spoken to Boniek? No, I haven’t talked to him. I was absolutely convinced by this choice and I wasn’t influenced by anyone.
“I’m a Juventus player now and I have no weaknesses.”
Image courtesy juventus.com
Well ok then. I still think Wojciech Szczesny is a very bad idea, and a horrible Buffon Successor, but now that he is in our colors, I cant help but to wish to be proven wrong, and not ever writing “i told you so!” should he show some horrid displays.
By all counts, given the dearth of keepers above the average and the fact that to my eyes, which admittedly dont watch every football league on the planet, know every player, the only keeper I have seen who is as consistently superb as Buffon is De Gea…of the last year or so.
From what I have seen of Chesney (easier for me presently and reminds me of Wojciech (I am now forcing myself to type rather than copy and paste his name which some fiend spat on upon his birth, perhaps the notetaker of names misheard a polish cry for joy and wrote down that horroshow of letters hopefully rather than accurately?)…Wojciech. Wojciech. Wojciech…Indeed, from what I have seen of him in the Serie A highlights I generally watch weekly, he has been very solid indeed especially this last season. I rarely focus on stats, but they often give an impression and his stats as per –
https://dailycannon.com/2017/04/stats-show-szczesny-is-europes-best-goalkeeper-this-season/
are curious.
Given I watch the PL more intimately than any other league, I know Wojciech from his younger days at Highbury. he was at times a splendid prospect, on other occasions hapless, never due to a lack of technique, always related to his mentality. In short, he was a mixture of talent, power, youthful egoism and a touch of mentalist.
Some players need to grow up, by meeting a Woman, by having children, by moving to a different culture, finding a different coach and only then do they question the way they have been up until that point, as a professional footballer. And they react or they sink. Wojcieh has openly explained how he spent 5 years at Highbuey basically treading water, never challenging himself, essentially with zero development. He has since woken up to the potential of his sporting career and knuckled down, in a more serious, more tactically astute football league and by any measure you wish he has prospered.
I also like the manner in which he speaks of further developing, of ‘margin for improvement’.
We could do a lot worse than sign the keeper from the second strongest side in Italy.
Considering I spent a fair while studying Allisson, who i was ever so keen for us to sign, it makes added sense for me to commend this move, since Wojciech was the man to keep the immensely impressive brazillian out the side in Rome.
I am actually quite excited about the signing. And already looking forward to seeing him play. If his head seems right, as it does, he has improved tactically, is accustomed to the culture and league and has gained some humility and drive, then we may well have signed a keeper solid enough to make Buffon’s departure more palatable than many assumed would be the case.
And if you do not lean towards my own stance, then how about taking a leaf out of Buffon’s book?
“He’s made the best choice he could make,” Buffon told Sky when asked what he’ll say to Szczesny.
“I also think though that Juve have made the best choice they could make, because Szczesny, in my opinion, had a great season last year.
“He was probably the best goalkeeper in terms of consistency, and saves made.
“I think that it’s an intelligent marriage between the strongest club and the one who was the strongest goalkeeper last year.”