Stephan Lichtsteiner has left Juventus to join Arsenal on a free transfer, both clubs have announced on Tuesday. The 34-year-old fullback, whose departure was pretty much certain for months, was linked to Borussia Dortmund and Monaco in the past few weeks, but in the end the Gunners were able to secure the signing.
The former Lazio player has won the Scudetto in each season with Bianconeri and was one of the few members still in the squad, alongside only Claudio Marchisio and Giorgio Chiellini, from the first Antonio Conte title back in 2012. In Turin, he also lifted five Coppa Italia and four Supercoppa. He has collected 258 appearances with Juventus, scoring 15 goals.
When he first joined, he covered a hole on the right flank that had been bothering Bianconeri for years, providing an endless amount of stamina and grit. He immediately became a fan favourite because of his determination. Serviceable in both a four-man defence and a five-man midfield, he had some success attacking as well.
His playing time dipped when the management brought in Dani Alves two years ago, but Massimiliano Allegri still used him aplenty, especially for defensive purposes. He is coming off an up and down season, where he was no longer a regular starter but rotated with other interpreters at that position, primarily Mattia De Sciglio, but also Andrea Barzagli, Juan Cuadrado and Benedikt Howedes. Despite the competition for minutes and decreasing effectiveness, he always played at least 30 games in every season in Bianconero.
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