During the past week, football fans bear witness for an incredible soap opera that ended up with Cristiano Ronaldo joining Manchester United twelve years after he left them for Real Madrid.
For Juventus fans, analyzing the Portuguese’s time at the club and taking the time to talk about what would have been is fruitless at this point. Right now, it’s time to look forward.
Coincidentally, looking forward could intertwine with the past in this particular case. The Red Devils have their Golden Boy back, and the Old Lady could be about to welcome back her own lost son.
When the Bianconeri sold Moise Kean to Everton in 2019, the deal made zero sense for the club’s supporters. The Juventus youth product was coming off his breakthrough season, and whether it was Fabio Paratici’s decision or Maurizio Sarri’s call, both men have left Turin, paving the way for the club to rectify an old mistake.
Claiming that Kean would be an adequate replacement for Ronaldo would simply be a dubious statement, and comparing the up-and-coming striker to a five-time Ballon d’Or wouldn’t be fair either player.
However, with his pace, finishing touch and strong physical presence, the Italian international can provide a different layer for Juve’s attack. With CR7 gone, Max Allegri can once again build his team around Paulo Dybala.
Before the Portuguese’s arrival in 2018, La Joya was enjoying his best years at the club, with the 2017/18 arguably being his most impressive. And yet, the manager was somewhat forced to drop him at times in the following season, as he found it hard to accommodate him alongside the man who became the main attraction in Turin.
Therefore, with the Argentine regaining his physical form (knock on wood), Juventus still possess one of the most talented players in world football. And let’s not forget about Federico Chiesa’s impact from the wing.
Nonetheless, Dybala always needed a battling force alongside him in attack. Mario Mandzukic perhaps rings a bell. Kean might not be Ronaldo’s like-for-like replacement, but he might just be the player that Allegri seeks, and more importantly the teammate that Dybala needs.
