After selling Cristian Romero for a major profit, Atalanta decided to replicate the trick by signing another Juventus defender. But unlike the Argentine, Merih Demiral struggled during his time in Bergamo.
The Turkish center back joined La Dea on loan with an option to buy after failing to cement himself a starting role in Turin.
But following a promising start to life with the Orobici, the 24-year-old eventually lost his starting berth, with Gian Piero Gasperini even preferring to deploy Marten De Roon (a midfielder) as a part of the back-three.
So according to Sky Sport via JuventusNews24, Atalanta have decided against maintaining the services of Demiral, thus, they won’t exercise their right to redeem him on a permanent basis.
Effectively, the Turkey international will now return to Turin to rejoin Max Allegri’s squad. Nonetheless, his future remains shrouded with mystery.
Even though Juventus do need defensive reinforcements following Giorgio Chiellini’s departure, it remains unclear if the club is willing to grant Demiral another chance.
Juve FC say
Despite being a fearsome defender, the former Sassuolo man’s recklessness remains his biggest weakness.
While this doesn’t necessarily mean that Demiral won’t eventually develop into a top defender, we simply don’t know if Juventus can afford to bet on his prowess once more.
With Chiellini out of the scene, Bonucci on his last legs and Matthijs de Ligt’s future being uncertain, the Bianconeri must add a capable defender who can be a reassurance for years to come.
