No transfer in Juventus’s recent history has been sealed quite like this one. Of the 132 assists Miralem Pjanić delivered across his professional career, the one that brought Kerim Alajbegovic to the Allianz Stadium was different from all the others — not a threaded ball through a defence, but a conversation, a friendship, and a personal guarantee to two clubs that the right deal could be done.
Speaking exclusively to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the former Juventus and Bosnia midfielder opened up on every dimension of the operation — from why Alajbegovic chose Turin over richer offers elsewhere, to the tactical picture that makes the arrival so exciting, to the comparison that will define how the teenager is spoken about in Italian football for years to come.
“There Were More Lucrative Offers — But Juventus Is Always Juventus”
Pjanić was emphatic on the reason Alajbegovic turned away from financially superior alternatives: “Because Kerim is a boy more mature than his 18 years, with a solid family behind him. The choice was his and his family’s. Alajbegovic has always had a particular appreciation for Serie A. And Juventus is always Juventus.”
It is a reminder that in football, as in most things, money alone is rarely the only currency. When a teenager with Alajbegovic’s gifts and his family’s grounding receives a call from a club with the history, identity, and ambition of Juventus — and with a figure like Pjanić vouching personally for the environment — the financial comparison with other suitors becomes secondary.
“He Can Play Across the Entire Attacking Front — Coexisting with Yıldız Will Not Be a Problem for Spalletti”
On the question of how Alajbegovic and Kenan Yıldız will coexist — the tactical puzzle that has occupied much of the commentary since the deal was confirmed — Pjanić was relaxed and authoritative: “He knows how to range across the entire attacking front. Coexisting with Yıldız will not be a problem for Spalletti.”
The former Juventus midfielder’s footballing intelligence on this point should not be underestimated. He knows both players, has spent time with Alajbegovic’s family across multiple conversations during the negotiating process, and has observed the Bosnian in competitive action at close quarters. His confidence that Spalletti can accommodate both creative players simultaneously — and that they will enhance rather than diminish each other — carries genuine weight.
“He Is a Top Player — I Hope He Becomes the New Dybala”
The most striking and resonant passage of the interview was Pjanić’s final assessment of the player he has helped deliver to his beloved old club. When asked directly for his verdict on Alajbegovic’s potential, Pjanić was unequivocal: “He is top. I hope he becomes the new Dybala.”
Paulo Dybala. A name that still carries an almost mythological quality among the Juventus faithful — a player whose technical brilliance, creative daring, and emotional connection with the fans made him one of the most beloved figures in the club’s modern history. The comparison is not made lightly, and Pjanić is not a man prone to hyperbole. That he reaches for Dybala as the reference point for Alajbegovic’s potential tells you everything about the conviction with which he believes in this teenager’s ability to write his own chapter at the Allianz Stadium.
A dream partnership with Yıldız. The potential of a new Dybala. In Turin, the summer has arrived at its most exciting destination.
