As most Juventus fans know by now, the club rarely decides to splash around 40 million euros on a 19-year-old talent.
And yet, Fabio Paratici’s reign witnessed several uncommon occurrences that went against the Old Lady’s historic habits.
While most fans partially blame the former sporting director for the club’s current financial difficulties (due to his notorious overspending), one must admit that some of his deals greatly benefitted the Bianconeri. The arrivals of Federico Chiesa and Matthijs de Ligt make the best examples.
However, the jury is still out on Dejan Kulusevski. The player’s talent is never in doubt, but the question remains whether or not he’ll become a star worthy of the great club.
The Swede often shows glimpses of genius, and his late cameo against Torino once again reminded us of his classy touch. But the former Parma man has thus far failed to deliver the goods on a permanent basis.
This issue perhaps explains why Max Allegri is refusing to hand him a starting berth, even in the absence of Paulo Dybala and Alvaro Morata. So if not now, when exactly is Kulu going to play?
With the lack of playing time threatening to plummet the young man’s transfer value, the management could be tempted to sell… especially if Paratici convinces Tottenham to splash enough money.
However, this could prove to be a regrettable decision, as the Sweden international has all the making to become one of the best outside/supporting strikers in the world.
Kulusevski just needs a manager that trusts his talent, and despite the current lack of playing time, Allegri might just be this person.
We’ve seen Max taking his time before while introducing young players to the squad in the past, and perhaps he’s giving the 21-year-old the same old treatment.
We must remember that we’re talking about a young player who’s been repeatedly on the move in the last few seasons and is playing under a new manager (and in a new role) almost every year. Maybe he isn’t failing to deliver, but just taking his time to develop while trying to adapt to the changing landscape.
Juventus aren’t going to spend 40 millions on another teenager anytime soon, but at the very least, they must not squander the few mercurial talents that they currently possess.
