Why Juventus should never sell Chelsea, Man City target Bonucci

This summer Chelsea and Manchester City will once again be linked with signing Leonardo Bonucci. Both Pep Guardiola and Antonio Conte are long time admirers of the Italian international and would be prepared to sign him at all costs.

Bonucci is regarded as the best centre-back in the world, able to combine a great sense of position and quality with the ball at his feet whilst being equally adept at playing in either a three or four-man defensive line; just another reason why two of the best managers in the world are totally obsessed with coaching the 30-year-old.



​Bonucci’s importance for Juventus however, goes beyond technical and tactical reasons. He is one of the leaders in the bianconeri dressing room and it is no surprise that he was the one tasked with the job of talking to the press after Sunday’s defeat to Roma.

If the Old Lady had drawn or won the game in the capital, she’d have become Serie A champion for the sixth successive season; a new record for Italy’s top-flight.

The Olimpico defeat leaves Juventus four points above the Giallorossi with games against Crotone (home) and Bologna (away) to come. Despite Juventus’ advantage, Bonucci warned his teammates on Sunday night that: “We have to remain humble, it is unacceptable to lose games like this, when the finishing line is so close we have to stay hungry and reach the target, which is the secret behind our wins.”



​Bonucci’s speech mirrors that of Gigi Buffon who also reproached the team after their woeful start to the 2015/16 campaign. 18 months ago, Juventus sat 14th in the table and were 12 points behind league- leaders Inter. After Buffon’s Sassuolo speech, Juventus went on to win 24 of their following 25 games to claim their fifth successive Serie A crown.

​With Buffon set to retire at the end of the next season, Juventus will need to replace the legendary goalkeeper both on and off the field. Bonucci’s speech is proof that the Italian centre-back could become the charismatic heir to Buffon in the J Stadium dressing room. A leader on and off the pitch is just priceless and is the cornerstone of a successful club’s culture and philosophy.

Italy’s most successful club should never consider selling their experienced hometown boy: replacing him on the pitch would be hard enough, but the omission of a role model behind closed doors would be almost unthinkable.
 
@lorebetto