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Buffon Saga: What’s Next?
Gianluigi Buffon has been widely recognized as the best goalkeeper in the world for almost five years. Hadi Harake looks at what has been coming out Turin, and tries to put it together...
Speculation surrounding Buffon’s future is mounting by the day day. Clubs from all over Europe are keeping a close eye on this developing story in order to try and grab him if he is to be placed on the transfer list.
Will Gianluigi Buffon remain the Old Lady goalkeeper next season?
If Buffon stays, Juventus’ competitive advantage of having the best goalkeeper in the world will also stay. A player with such a vast basket of skills, ranging from brilliant reflexes and positioning to a strong character, from a command over the defence to bravery, is certainly hard to replace.
On the other hand, if he leaves, his spot would most probably be handed either to Abbiati or Amelia, who are both well respected goalkeepers, who are up to the challenge and ready to play an important role at the club. Also, his sale would hand the team and their transfer gurus plenty of funds - necessary to reinforce various positions in which the team lacks quality and experience.
From Juve's perspective, it is advisable he stays, but no disaster shold he leave. The next question is: what does he really want?
The Italian number one recently stated that there is a 50 percent chance he will leave and that he still hasn’t decided. However, if we collect the various pieces together, we can clearly note that he wants to leave.
First of all, Buffon has constantly expressed his desire to play in the Champions League, a competition that he obviously deserves to be in. In one of his recent comments, he stated that he wants to spend the last five years of his brilliant career playing at the highest levels. In another, he mentioned that Juventus would need four to five more years to reach a stage where they’ll be able to finally compete for a Scudetto and return to their previous stature - a leading European powerhouse.
Either he believes that by the time Juventus returns to their days of old, he’ll be close to hanging up his boots, or simply wants to give himself as many years of Champions League football possible, so he can wear that all-elusive winner's medal.
That is why he feels the need to leave and excel with another club, knowing that his mission of aiding Juventus in its attempt to return to Serie A is completed, which was done out of respect to his loyal fans, and towards a club that splashed a tremendous £32 million in order to bring him to Turin, the highest sum of money paid for a goalkeeper.
He has stated that his future will be decided in the coming week or two, after discussions with the club’s directors, but it would take someone really blind to the ways of the game to fail to understand that the path has already been chosen.
Coming back to the meeting, it will still have a purpose. It will be an attempt by the board to convince an invaluable player that Juventus will be reinforced, with a set of important players that will make the team compete immediately upon its return to top flight.
Last month, Juventus announced that the Board of Directors approved an increase in capital of about €105 million in order to fund their development plan that not only includes purchasing new players, but also enhancing the club’s commercial activities, reducing debts and funding the team’s new stadium.
In addition to the players the club will try to target this summer, they have already secured the services of Ajax’s Zdenek Grygera, Bayern Munich’s Hasan Salihamidzic, and Genoa’s promising young defender Domenico Criscito.
Will this development plan be sufficient to convince Buffon that the club is moving in the right direction and will be able to compete next season? Will it also be possible to persuade him that the Champions League is only a year away? If they make a convincing case, they could well stall an immediate decision. More will surely have to be done!
However, rebuilding a team can so easily become a nightmare, even if you have money. Look at Frings. In the end, no amount of money could have forced him to move. Similarly, there are players clubs just won't sell. Others will sell, but not to Juventus. Come July, if some big purchases have not been made, the pressure will be back on to let the Italy number one go.
A possible solution could be an agreement not to join Inter. In fact, President Gigli recently stated that it’s impossible to let him join this particular team because “if it were to happen, we won’t be able to look them in the eye.” The Bianconeri might just open the door for Buffon to sneak out, if they can ensure that he is not headed to the blue and red half of Inter.
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