Transfer News:
Manchester City were vocal about their desire to sign a central midfielder this summer and openly advocated their targets. Their proposed move for Jorginho fell through with Chelsea swooping in last minute. All this after Fred moved to Manchester United. However, their search for a midfielder seems to have led them to Juventus’ Miralem Pjanic.
The Bosnian has been an integral part of Juventus’ setup and by analysis, one can easily understand that he is a midfielder who Guardiola would welcome having in the team.
Despite their scintillating performance last season, City were knocked out in the Quarter Finals of the Champions League and couldn’t pose a challenge in the FA Cup either. Hence, Guardiola would look to extend their dominance to the European stage this time around and hence City are looking to make some valuable additions to the squad.
Miralem Pjanic: Player Profile
Pjanic plays through the centre of the park and is exemplary at passing the ball. He can control the tempo of the game and always looks for an opportunity to make forward passes in order to initiate attacking moves. He is equally good at managing his offensive and defensive responsibilities and his presence in the centre is important for the team’s overall style of play.
The Bosnian asserts his authority in the midfield and adds the extra edge to the centre of the park with some sharp, well-timed through balls. Pjanic is a workhorse and manages his defensive duties accordingly. In the Serie A last season, Pjanic scored five goals and assisted eight times in 31 appearances.
He completed 1.2 tackles and intercepted the ball twice on an average every game. The 28-year-old took 1.7 shots on target per game and delivered 1.9 key passes too. Moreover, his passing accuracy of 90.2% indicates and quite clearly demonstrates the fact that Pjanic hardly misplaces the ball thus maintaining possession.
Should Manchester City make a move?
Pjanic is undoubtedly one of the most underrated midfielders currently, as his exploits with Juventus have not been documented well enough. His midfield game is quite assertive and Pjanic can control and manage the proceedings expertly from the middle of the park.
Pep wants cover and subsequently a successor for Fernandinho, who is entering his final phase in top-level football. The Brazilian has been an excellent servant for the club and while he is expected to start as first choice, his manager will want more options with City looking to have another excellent season ahead.