Would Man City's Jesus be a good Morata replacement for Juventus?
Stuart Hodge
- Updated: 16 Nov 2021 12:06 CST
- 8 min read
Alvaro Morata's two-season loan stint at Juventus will come to an end this summer and the Bianconeri have reportedly identified Manchester City star Gabriel Jesus as the number one target to replace him.
The Brazilian is top of a shortlist the Turin giants have to replace Morata, according to a CaughtOffside report.
Morata has been impactful for the club since joining from Atletico Madrid in a loan spell last summer and wouldn't be an easy act to follow.
The Spaniard hit double figures for goals and assists in the Serie A last season, in what is his second spell with the club, and is fairly popular with the fanbase but it's easy to see why it would make sense for Juve to target Jesus.
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What Jesus can bring to Juventus
Many forget that Jesus is still just 24 years old and he already has over 50 caps for Brazil, so there is no doubting his overall quality.
He is a versatile player who traditionally operates as a central striker, but City have also managed to get great success deploying Jesus on the right flank.
A tricky player, with good technique and flashy footwork, Jesus would bring some flair and guile to the Juve front line.
His work-rate and overall physicality as a frontman have improved immeasurably since his arrival from Palmeiras in August 2016, and he has twice hit double-digits for Premier League goals in a single season.
The potential is there for Jesus to become even better, and unlike at City, where there are numerous world-class players in every position, he would immediately be seen as one of the key players in the Juve squad.
Jesus is very much a confidence player
Jesus is a player whose first 10-15 minutes can dictate how he performs for the rest of the 90. If he starts a game well, or scores early, he cause nightmares for even the very best defenders. But if he misses a pass or has a bad touch he can retreat into his shell.
Perhaps this is why he doesn't stand out so much in such a gifted squad as City's. He's good enough to comprise part of the rotational core, but not so hot on a consistent basis that he is capturing the gaze of too many people.
Juventus do like what they see though and Jesus could be a good fit as a Morata replacement, or even just to supplement their options wide of the front man. Increasingly, this is looking like Jesus' best position anyway – at least in a three-man frontline.
Juve could stick with Morata on a permanent deal
Juventus have got a clause in the loan deal to secure Morata permanently for a cut-price fee.
But you can see why Jesus is the primary back-up target, and it would be interesting to see how he would play alongside Paulo Dybala if a move were to happen.
Morata is more in the traditional striker's mould, so if that's what Juve are looking for then perhaps they should maybe stick with what they've got.
In terms of squad value though, the acquisition of Jesus could be the more beneficial move in the long run.
