Juventus have ready-made replacement for Zhegrova as teenager shines for Next Gen

Juventus have ready-made replacement for Zhegrova as teenager shines for Next Gen

Juventus could part ways with Edon Zhegrova after one disappointing campaign, and they might have an internal replacement in Adin Licina.

Unfortunately for the Bianconeri, none of their four summer signings managed to win the hearts of the club’s supporters this season. Jonathan David and Lois Openda have misfired in front of goal, Joao Mario only lasted six months before being loaned out to Bologna, while Zhegrova’s flashes of brilliance have been too few and far between.

The Kosovar suffered an ACL tear in his final season at LOSC Lille, and he is still struggling to regain his pre-injury form. But faced with a decent proposal, the Juventus management would be content to cut their losses and sell the tricky winger.

Should Juventus ditch Edon Zhegrova for Adin Licina?

Normally, the departure of a first-team player would require the signing of a like-for-like replacement. But if Zhegrova is to leave, perhaps Juventus would be better off giving Licina a run with the first team.

While we mentioned the club’s sour summer transfer campaign above, the January Mercato was comprehensively more positive, albeit unspectacular. Perhaps Marco Ottolini deserves the plaudits, as his appointment as sporting director coincided with improved market decisions.

The Bianconeri pulled off a real coup by signing Jeremie Boga, who can be bought for less than €5 million, and even Emil Holm could turn out to be a success story in Turin.

Moreover, Juventus poached the services of Licina, a 19-year-old winger, who rose through the ranks of Bayern Munich, evoking memories of Kenan Yildiz’s arrival in 2022.

Licina has been sporadically training with the first team, but his first concrete steps in Turin have been with the Juventus Next Gen squad.

After making a few impressive cameos off the bench, the young German cemented himself as a regular starter in Massimo Brambilla’s lineup.

On Sunday, he was the star of the show against Guidonia, and his screamer was the solitary difference between the two sides, as the young Bianconeri team jumped to 5th place in the Serie C (Group B) table. They have consolidated their place in the play-offs just two weeks before the end of the regular season.

Is Licina ready for Juve’s first team?

Licina will have a major role to play in the final stretch of the season, as Brambilla’s men try to secure a promotion to Serie B, and if he manages to convince Luciano Spalletti (who has already noticed his skills in training), then perhaps he could earn a personal promotion to the senior squad next season.

The Germany U19 starlet is an attacking midfielder, but he’s also effective when playing as a winger. Licina boasts a magical left foot much like Zhegrova, so he can be a natural replacement for the latter on the right flank, acting as a backup for Francisco Conceicao.

It has been a while since the Juventus Next Gen produced a real gem that stormed his way into the first team, and if there’s one young talent who could revive this pattern, then Licina might be the safest bet.