Sami Khedira Signs for Juventus: Signing Shows Juve’s Intent

The fact that Sami Khedira, like Paolo Dybala before him, has signed for Juventus only shows the Italian champions’ willingness to reload and re-launch in terms of winning European hardware next season. Both signings are moves that take the Old Lady “from strength to strength” thanks to loaded player selections in the center of the pitch and in attack.

The signings also give just another reason why Juve decision-maker Beppe Marotta is the best in the business. Marotta has snagged Khedira, Andrea Pirlo, Fernando Llorente and Paul Pogba for free while signing stars Arturo Vidal, Carlos Tevez, Patrice Evra and Andrea Barzagli on cut-rate deals. You paid more for your last batch of groceries than Marotta paid to sign Khedira, Pirlo and Pogba. There should be some kind of award for that.

Khedira missed large parts of the season for Madrid last term, making just 12 appearances over all competitions. However, when you can sign a player for free who was a regular starter at Real Madrid and won the Bundesliga, the Champions League, La Liga and the World Cup before the age of 29, you know you’ve had a solid day at the office.

The German international leaves a crowded midfield situation at the Bernabeu and joins a midfield grouping in Turin where he will receive his fair share of starts.  

While competing with Andrea Pirlo, Paul Pogba, Arturo Vidal and Claudio Marchisio for starts won’t be easy, it will provide him much less competition than in Spain where Khedira was stuck behind James Rodriguez, Luka Modric and Toni Kroos. Additionally, Khedira would have had to fight off Asier Illarramendi, Lucas Silva and Casemiro for time off the bench.

Khedira will likely provide a change-of-pace to Pirlo in midfield, serving more as a destroyer to Pirlo’s metronome. He doesn’t possess the passing acumen as his new Italian teammate, but Khedira is a reliable passer nonetheless. The German will likely be charged with shielding the defense as a descriptive force while providing steady passing. He’s not Pirlo, but he’ll give opposing teams something to think about nonetheless.

If anything, the decision to bring in a player of Khedira’s quality to essentially serve as the first midfielder off the bench only shows the club’s desire to not only make it back to Europe’s biggest game, like they did this past season, but win the game—no matter who the opponent.

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