According to a recent report by Tuttomercatoweb, Barcelona have reignited their interest in Juventus defender Mattia De Sciglio this summer. The same source has also mentioned that the Italian right-back could be on his way out of Turin for €10m with the Catalans giants eyeing a summer move to secure his signature.
De Sciglio’s Injury Problems At Turin This Season
The 27-year-old has endured a frustrating season at the Allianz Stadium after being sidelined for several matches over the past ten months due to a severe muscle injury. He has made 13 appearances for Juve this term, receiving a total of 774 minutes of playing time and picking up one yellow card in all competitions which highlight his growing frustrations at Turin.
The Milan-born talent deserves some praise for averaging 1.2 tackles, 0.8 interceptions, 2.0 clearances and 1.3 dribbles per game in the Serie A and the UEFA Champions League this season. He has also taken care of the ball when distributing it to his teammates as evident from his pass completion rate of 82.8% in league football (stats via whoscored).
De Sciglio has got considerable experience at the international stage as he has earned 39 senior caps for the Italian national team, but is yet to score his first goal for his country. Maybe a change of scenery this summer could give him a chance to make a fresh start away from Turin and rediscover his best form so that he can earn a place in Roberto Mancini’s squad for next year’s UEFA European Championship finals.
What Will The Italian International Add To Quique Setien’s Team?
De Sciglio can use his quickness and agility to make some darting runs with the ball out on the wide areas. He is a tireless worker down the right flank and can maintain a good defensive shape at the back as well. The Italian can scan out the danger quickly that enables him to pull off some important interceptions and last-ditch clearances for his team.
However, his recent injury record has been poor, and this has clearly hampered his progress in Italian football. Therefore, the jury is still out on whether De Sciglio will be able to be a success story in La Liga if Barca manage to recruit him this summer.
The Italian defensive ace is versatile enough to feature in either full-back position and could even fill in as an advanced winger down the right if required. As long as De Sciglio can stay injury-free, he has what it takes to be a fan-favourite at the Nou Camp. He will not only add more stability and variety to Quique Setien’s backline but also improve the overall depth of his squad.
Plus, De Sciglio will increase competition for the likes of Nelson Semedo, Jordi Alba, Moussa Wagué, Junior Firpo and Sergi Roberto for a full-back berth in the Barca first-team next season. At 27, the Italian is currently in the prime stage of his football career which the Catalans could look to capitalise on in the coming years.
