With the departure of Bianconeri legend Buffon to PSG this past summer, many argued whether Szczesny was quality enough to take over as heir. Juventus also brought in the very promising and capable Italy international Mattia Perin from Genoa as back up.
There's no denying that Szczesny is a really solid goalkeeper but he will probably never be able to fully replace Buffon. There's a lot of characteristics Gigi had that simply can't be replicated by any other. His charisma, passion for the club and talent were on a level of their own.
Perin is also a very talented goalkeeper based on his performances for Genoa last season which prompted Juve to chase his signature. He’s a great addition for the team and will provide competition for the starting role. He came to Juve knowing full well he would have a bench role behind Szczesny. Even so, he came in motivated to challenge for that starting role in the future. He seems to have a lot of confidence, determination and the skills to back that up.
Juventus has arguably one of the best goalkeeping duos in Europe at the moment. Despite this, there are reports that Juve is interested in bringing David De Gea on a free transfer from Manchester United when his contract expires. If there’s anyone in the world that could come close to the output Buffon had, De Gea is without a doubt in the top two shortlist. Last season, he almost single handedly kept Manchester United in most matches with spectacular saves and has only continued to show his world class abilities.
Let’s take a look at the pro’s and con’s in my opinion of De Gea potentially joining Juventus
Pro’s
One of the best goalkeepers in the world or at least in the top three
Closest replacement to Buffon
Would surely make our defense even harder to break through
Has valuable experience against many world class goalscorers
Is currently only 27 with Szczesny only being a year older.
Assuming he comes and one of our current goalkeepers leaves, we will still have two amazing shot stoppers.
Con’s
He reportedly earns a weekly wage of $200k and we would surely have to match it or raise it significantly. Szczesny and Perin’s wages combined are barely $100k combined.
Either Szczesny or Perin would most likely leave. As I mentioned before, they are both very good at what they do. As of now, they will both surely share appearances. If someone with the quality of De Gea comes in, one of them will undoubtedly find playing time rare. No one want to be benched that often.
In short, I’d love to see De Gea join the Bianconeri. Although, I don’t think the goalkeeping position should be a priority. While Szczesny and Perin might not be on the same level as De Gea, they are both very capable and I have trust in both of them. We desperately need a world class midfielder and De Gea’s high wages would surely get in the way of that. If we are able to secure a midfielder that fits what we need and are still able to balance the books with De Gea’s wages, then I’m all for it. Selling one our current goalkeepers would also help raise the necessary funds for this. I did say I would prioritize signing a class midfielder first but at the same time I feel that when someone of his quality is available on a “free”, we should definitely aim for his signature. The need of a player in another position gets in the way of me being fully sold with the idea of bringing him in but I’ll just end this with saying I definitely wouldn't mind his arrival.
What are your thoughts on the possibility of this happening? Let me now in the comments down below!
Forza Juve!