When Juventus announced they had signed Federico Chiesa from Fiorentina this past summer, it left many scratching their heads. The Italian international is undoubtedly one of Italy’s most promising young talents, however, his inconsistencies left a lot to be desired. Juventus had no doubts and wasted no time bringing in Chiesa, securing him with a crafty deal in place.
The Italian champions agreed to sign Chiesa on a two-year loan deal and pay Fiorentina 40 million euros over four years. While it may seem a hefty price-tag for a player who is not yet world-class, his signing is now looking like the bargain of the summer. Chiesa has taken his game to the next level since joining Juventus, establishing himself as one of the first names on Andrea Pirlo’s team-sheet. the 22-year-old has also become a regular with the national team and will likely make the trip to Euro 2021 with an important role, barring any setbacks.
Equally capable of playing on either wing, Chiesa has carved out an important role for himself in Pirlo’s hybrid setup, offering some much-needed speed and unpredictability in the final third. The 22-year-old’s best game in a Juventus shirt could not have come at a better time, leading the Bianconeri to a crucial victory over Milan.
Chiesa combined to devastating effect with Paulo Dybala, slotting home his side’s opener past a helpless Gianluigi Donnarumma. When Milan found the equalizer, the Azzurri winger got right back at it, tormenting Theo Hernandez. Chiesa would inevitably find the winner, completing his brace and stepping up an a crucial moment. Hernandez will not soon forget about Chiesa, with the former Viola man consistently getting the better of him.
Chiesa has since built off that impressive performance with goals in back-to-back games against SPAL and Sampdoria and is starting to look like the real deal. The 22-year-old has put his past struggles behind him and has significantly improved on his end product. Whether he’s bursting past his man or looking to filter in a dangerous cross, Juventus – without a doubt – is a better team with Chiesa on the pitch.
What is most encouraging for Juventus beyond his recent progress is his performances in big games. Cheese has demonstrated an ability to make the difference when it matters – something Juventus will be counting on as the month of February rolls around. The Italian champions lock horns with Inter, Napoli, Roma and make their highly-anticipated return to the Champions League against Porto.
There will be plenty of opportunities for the 22-year-old to further assert himself in Pirlo’s preferred lineup and continue his development. Juan Cuadrado’s recent rebirth has meant Chiesa has to fill in a left midfield, at times, but it hasn’t stopped him one bit. The Italian international most recently found the back of the net from that position, getting on the end of Alvaro Morata’s cross to tap home.
While 40 million euros may seem like a lot, the crafty setup of the deal makes Chiesa’s arrival affordable. Regardless, his price-tag is slowly fading into the background as his top performances continue to pile up. A move to Juventus is exactly the type of transfer Chiesa arguably needed to make the leap into an elite winger, with the 22-year-old taking full advantage of life under Pirlo. As of right now, Chiesa is Juve’s X-factor in the final third and Pirlo will be turning to him to provide the goods. Whether he continues to do so remains to be seen, but as a plethora of big games coming up, Chiesa will be raring to go.
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