Juventus Transfer Market: The Bianconeri Ask Diego Simeone to Make an Effort
Juventus hopes that Diego Simeone will be able to restore the confidence and consistency that Jonathan David was unable to find during his time in Turin. The Bianconeri are closely monitoring the forward’s first few months at Atlético Madrid, especially given the possibility of a 25 million euro buyout clause.
David moved to Spain on a free loan with an option to buy held by the Colchoneros. For Juventus, therefore, a resurgence of his form in Madrid would represent the ideal scenario: it would allow the player to reestablish his value and could facilitate a permanent transfer at the end of the season.
In Turin, there’s also a precedent that fuels these hopes. Simeone has already proven his ability to turn around players coming off underwhelming stints, and the case of Nico Gonzalez is being followed with particular interest by the Bianconeri.
After a stint at Juventus that fell short of expectations, the Argentine has regained confidence, consistency, and an important role at Atlético. Juve’s hope is that “El Cholo” can pull off the same feat with David as well.
The Bianconeri, therefore, aren’t necessarily looking at the Canadian with an eye toward his future return to Turin. The main goal is to see the value of a player rise again—a player who, before his time at Juventus, had established himself as one of the most promising forwards on the European scene.
For now, the path to a comeback hasn’t gotten off to the best start. David arrived at Atlético needing to rediscover his scoring touch, confidence, and consistency, but his first appearances have already raised some concerns.
His official debut came on September 9 in the Champions League against Liverpool. Simeone sent him onto the field in the 73rd minute, when Atlético was down 2-1 and trying to tie the game.
In the 17 minutes plus stoppage time he had available, however, David failed to make an impact. The Canadian touched the ball just nine times, completing all seven of his attempted passes, but never managing to get a shot on the opponent’s goal.
Cholo deployed him behind Julian Alvarez, asking him to move between the lines and help build the attack. David, however, struggled to find space to create danger, remaining primarily in the attacking third and also helping out defensively on the right wing.
Simeone will need time to integrate the Canadian into his system and try to bring back the player who, in the past, attracted the interest of several major European clubs.
The season is still long, and that’s exactly what Juventus is counting on. Today, the 25-million buyout clause may seem far from a foregone conclusion, but a resurgence by David in the coming months could completely change the situation. In Turin, therefore, they’re watching closely: Simeone’s work could prove invaluable for Juventus’ future transfer market as well.
