Since making his big-money move from Fiorentina to Juventus, Federico Bernardeschi was never truly able to fulfill his initial promise.
The Italian arrived to Turin as one of the most exciting young talents of his generation, but his performances left much to be desired.
Following the departure of Massimiliano Allegri in 2019, the player’s displays on the pitch went from bad to worse under the eyes of Maurizio Sarri and then Andrea Pirlo.
Nevertheless, Roberto Mancini kept faith in the former Viola man, handing him a place in the squad that would then go on to lift the European Championship at Wembley earlier this summer.
This incredible morale boost – coupled with the return of the Max – injected a new life in the veins of Federico, who now looks to be an inspired player.
In the final pre-season friendly, the 27-year-old scored with a marvelous long-range effort against Atalanta last Saturday that landed in Juan Musso’s top corner.
According to JuveNews, that encouraging performance might have been enough to convince Allegri, who could be set to unleash Bernardeschi from the get-go against Udinese on the first matchday of Serie A.
Despite originally being a winger, the Euro 2020 winner could be deployed in a hybrid role as a part of the midfield trio in Allegri’s 4-3-3 formation, but he can also transform into a wide player at times.
In the presence of the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Federico Chiesa and Paulo Dybala, the Italian will find it hard to earn a starting spot upfront. But the uncertainty in the middle of the park could hand him the chance to shine in a converted role.
