Calciomercato report that Teun Koopmeiners is on track to become Juventus’ worst signing in recent history when considering performance relative to cost. Six months after his official acquisition on August 28, 2024, the Dutch midfielder shows no signs of improvement in his play. In fact, the former Atalanta star seems to be regressing, as evidenced by his disastrous performances against PSV Eindhoven and Empoli, which led to Juventus’ elimination from the Champions League and Coppa Italia respectively.
Against Empoli, Koopmeiners appeared completely lost, technically regressed, and disconnected from the game. His self-inflicted mishap with the ball even became fodder for social media memes. Manager Thiago Motta’s post-match comment, “You can’t demand without giving anything,” may well have been directed at the struggling midfielder.
A Unifying Thread of Disappointment
Koopmeiners risks becoming the common thread in the potential failure of the Cristiano Giuntoli-Thiago Motta project, especially if Juventus fails to secure a top-four finish in the league. The midfielder was a favorite of Giuntoli, who had previously wanted him at Napoli and went to great lengths to bring him to Turin, ultimately paying Atalanta’s asking price of 61 million euros, including bonuses.
Arriving at Juventus after an injury that forced him to miss the Euros, and with his preparation affected by the long and exhausting negotiations between the clubs, Koopmeiners started the season poorly and has continued in the same vein from September to the present. Despite being burdened by his hefty price tag, Koopmeiners has been consistently fielded by Motta, who cannot be accused of not giving the number 8 a chance. This trust, however, has been misplaced so far.
Poor Value for Money
In terms of value for money, Koopmeiners ranks as the 6th most expensive signing in Juventus history. While some high-profile acquisitions have justified their cost (like Ronaldo, Higuain, Buffon, Bremer, and Nedved), others have significantly underperformed relative to their price tags. Currently, three such underperformers are in the current Juventus squad: Koopmeiners, Dusan Vlahovic, and Douglas Luiz.
While some argue that Arthur Melo’s 80.60 million euro transfer was the worst in terms of performance versus cost, that deal was offset by the plusvalenza swap with Barcelona involving Miralem Pjanic. Similarly, Douglas Luiz’s arrival was part of a deal involving player exchanges with Aston Villa. Koopmeiners, however, cost Juventus 61 million euros in pure cash – an exorbitant sum given his performances over the last six months.
