A visit, a project and a choice that can change the future. Sergej Barbarez stopped in Cremona to meet Adin Licina and try to convince him to accept Bosnia’s courtship. The Bosnian coach wants to bring the talent owned by Juventus, currently on loan at Cremonese, onto his side, and his visit is a clear sign of an intention to speed things up.
Tempted by Bosnia
Licina is very tempted by the proposal. The chance to enter the squad of a national team just back from the World Cup, with a potentially important role, is attractive. The move would follow the path Kerim Alajbegović took, and the Bosnian coach spoke this week about how he pushed for Alajbegović’s promotion through the youth ranks.
No Signal From Germany
What is also pushing the nineteen-year-old towards Sarajevo is the situation with Germany. Adin was born in Landshut, in Bavaria, and has worn every shirt of the German youth selections, from Under-15 to Under-19. Yet so far, the strong signal that would guarantee him a concrete prospect in the senior national team has not arrived.
Germany has considerable competition in the attacking department, and Licina, though considered a talent, does not yet seem to be a priority. It is true that a call from the Under-20s has recently arrived, but the question of the senior selection remains to be built from scratch.
The Yıldız Precedent
The headline’s reference to Yıldız points to a familiar pattern at Juventus. Kenan Yıldız was born in Germany and came through Bayern’s system before choosing Turkey over Germany. Licina’s route from Bayern to Juventus mirrors Yıldız’s, as noted in the earlier piece about his free transfer, and now his national-team dilemma echoes the same story. The page has sections on “Juventus, Licina and the Yıldız model” and “Barbarez pushes: Bosnia wants Licina,” which I haven’t seen.
Why It Matters to Juventus
The choice will not affect the club’s contractual position, but it fits into the January decision on whether to keep, recall or sell him. Brighton and Leipzig are reported to be interested. A senior international cap path with Bosnia would raise his profile and potentially his market value, while a prolonged limbo with Germany could do the opposite. Juventus have also seen Bosnia’s pitch work with Alajbegović, who has spoken positively of the experience of playing for the national team.
