5 players who have benefited from Cristiano Ronaldo's Juventus departure
Cristiano Ronaldo and Juventus ended their association last summer, with the Portuguese parting ways with the Italian giants to seal a sensational return to Manchester United. Regardless of what critics say, it was a big loss for the Bianconeri - both in the marketing and sporting sense.
Losing a player who guarantees 30-40 goals every season can't be taken lightly, especially if his name is Cristiano Ronaldo. On the other hand, the departure of the Portuguese could also be seen as a blessing in disguise for a couple of players at Juventus.
These are players who saw their influence reduced in the offensive third of the pitch due to playing alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, who carried the goalscoring responsibility single-handedly. It also includes a couple of players who wouldn't have gotten the chance to shine if the attacker was still at the Allianz Stadium.
Without further ado, let's quickly take a look at five players who have benefitted from Cristiano Ronaldo's departure from Juventus.
#5 Federico Bernardeschi
Cristiano Ronaldo's departure has opened the door for a number of players to get more opportunities at Juventus. Federico Bernardeschi is definitely one of them. The Italian has represented the Old Lady on multiple areas of the pitch this season, including the Portuguese's favorite spot on the left wing.
Federico Bernardeschi is also far from the renewal with Juventus: the player asks for a four-year contract under the current conditions (€4.2M per year + bonuses) while Juve has offered him a three-year contract at a lower salary (€3M per season).
(@NicoSchira)
Throughout last season, Federico Bernardeschi amassed 1,445 minutes of playing time across all competitions, as per Transfermarkt. He's already surpassed that number this term, with 1,478 minutes recorded so far and more games still left to be played.
Overall, Bernardeschi started in 11 of 39 matches in the entirety of last season, across all competitions. In the present season, he has already gone past that figure, with 17 starts in 26 matches.
#4 Moise Kean
The attacker left Juventus for Everton in the summer of 2019 in a deal worth €28 million, after failing to break into the first team. However, he sealed a return to the Allianz Stadium last summer on a two-year loan deal that will see him stay in Turin until the summer of 2023.
#Juventus #EFCMoise Kean to Juventus, done deal and here-we-go. Agreement completed with Everton on loan with obligation to buy [under certain conditions]. Medical tomorrow in Torino. ⚪️⚫️ #Juventus #EFC
Total potential fee around €20m. Kean already agreed personal terms.
It's worth mentioning that Moise Kean got his timing perfectly right as he returned to Juventus in the same summer Cristiano Ronaldo left the club. In the absence of the Portuguese, the Italian striker has had plenty of opportunities coming his way.
So far, he's made a whopping 34 appearances for the Old Lady across all competitions, ammassing 1,138 minutes of playing time. Keane has recorded five goals and two assists for the club since coming back in the summer.