There is a quiet sort of logic to Juventus bringing Giovanni Carnevali back into the fold. The man who spent a decade shaping Sassuolo into Italy's mo...
There is a quiet sort of logic to Juventus bringing Giovanni Carnevali back into the fold. The man who spent a decade shaping Sassuolo into Italy's most shrewdly operated selling club now sits in the director's chair at Continassa. And if the early whispers out of GoalZaza are anything to go by, his very first big play might be a keeper. Literally.Emiliano Martinez. The name alone sends a shiver down the spine of any neutral who remembers his penalty shootout antics in Qatar. But for Juventus, he represents something more than charisma and catlike reflexes. He is a goalkeeper who commands his box, who distributes with conviction, and who thrives under the kind of pressure that comes with wearing the shirt of a giant. The question, as ever, is whether Aston Villa will let him go. And that is where Carnevali's appointment suddenly becomes very interesting indeed.GoalZaza understands that the new Juventus sporting director still holds Martinez in exceptionally high regard. This is not a fleeting fancy. Carnevali has been tracking the Argentine for years, long before his World Cup heroics. He knows the player, knows his camp, and crucially, knows the intricate dance of negotiation with Premier League clubs. Villa are not pushovers. They have ambition, they have money, and they have Unai Emery turning heads. But football is a game of relationships. And Carnevali has spent a lifetime building them.The tactical fit here is the real story. Juventus have been crying out for a goalkeeper who can sweep behind a high line, who can start attacks with a clipped pass to the full back, and who brings an aura of unshakeable self belief. Martinez does all of that. He also brings a certain nastiness, that edge of gamesmanship that the Bianconeri have sometimes lacked since the old guard moved on. Can you imagine him barking orders at a back four during squeaky bum time in a Champions League knockout I can.Of course, the numbers will have to make sense. Villa paid a significant fee for Martinez and they will want to turn a profit. But Carnevali is a master of the structured deal, the loan with an obligation, the clever add on. He did it at Sassuolo time and again, turning teenagers into internationals and then cashing in without ever appearing desperate. Now he has the heft of Juventus behind him. Do not be surprised if this one rumbles on, quietly, until the summer window really opens.For now, it is a story of potential. A story of a director who knows exactly what he wants, and a player who might just fancy a new challenge. The pieces are on the board. Carnevali has always been a patient player of the long game.
