By Ewah Chika.
Juventus may have lost a rare gem in Paul Pogba after the attacking midfielder joined Manchester United for a record €110 million. To fill the void left by the midfielder's departure, Juventus are reported to be in the transfer market to sign Zenith St. Petersburg and Belgian box-to-box midfielder Axel Witsel.
"When I took over in 2002, we needed a special player in midfield. I gave that task to Axel. The media in Belgium were very surprised about it but with him, the structure of my team was complete," were the words of then Belgium manager Marc Wilmots in 2014.
Nobody is doubting the qualities and likely problems that the departure of the Frenchman will cause Juventus considering Pogba is one of the best players in the world, but it will be unfair to label 'Axel Witsel a Pogba inferior'. The argument that Pogba is younger doesn't hold much water given that Witsel at 27 still has more than five years of active football still in him. The Belgian doesn't only boast experience, he is also a champion having won the Belgian Pro League twice with Standard Liege, Russian Football Premier League with Zenith and also Taca da Liga with Benfica.
Judging from stats, Witsel outperformed Pogba in the just concluded Euro's in France . The Belgian scored one goal in five games compared to the Frenchman's one in seven games. Witsel is also credited with a passing accuracy of 92% compared to Pogba's 88%, coupled with his tackle success of 85% compared to Pogba's 58%. Witsel again outperformed Pogba by winning 57% of his aerial duels compared to the Frenchman's 50%, although Pogba outwitted him in creating 12 chances compared to his seven. Witsel will also suit Max Allegri's energetic high-pressing game as he will easily form a perfect partnership with deep-lying Bosnian playmaker Miralem Pjanic allowing Claudio Marchisio to play further high while Dani Alves and Patrice Evra play on the wings in a 3-5-2 formation.
Witsel is expected to cost over €35 million (for a player that has one year to run in his contract) which is no easy money but good considering his quality and the €110 million Juventus made from the sale of Pogba to Manchester United. Even though the Belgian is one of the best box-to-box midfielders in European football yet many do not know that he started out playing as a winger before coach Jorge Jesus converted him to a defensive midfield after his signing in 2012 for € 9 million by Benfica.
Witsel was so good in his one and only season in Benfica that Zenith splashed out €40 million to sign him in 2012 and there he blossomed even though it took him time to adapt to life in Russia. It was under Andre Villas Boas that Witsel got the breakthrough and recognition he deserved as the Russian pushed him further high up the field reminiscent of the role he plays in the national team.
"This is a super team with a beautiful project to become again what it was in the days of Zinedine Zidane and Pavel Nedved. Turin is a destination that would suit me," Witsel told Sundinfo when quizzed about reports he is interested in joining Juventus.
Whatever happens from now until the end of the summer transfer window is still unknown but what is clear is that with Axel Witsel, Juventus has a quality replacement for Paul Pogba.
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