Opinion
Brazilian centre-back Gleison Bremer has completed a deal to join cross-city rivals Juventus from Torino in a package worth €47 million ($69.47 million), according to respected journalist Fabrizio Romano.
The 25-year-old was seen arriving at Turin airport to complete his medical scheduled for Wednesday night in what is a massive coup for the Bianconeri.
With the departures of veteran Giorgio Chiellini and Dutch prodigy Matthijs de Ligt, this is a statement signing for coach Massimiliano Allegri to rebuild a previously struggling defence.
For those unfamiliar with the player’s profile, Bremer had an outstanding season at Torino, winning the Serie A MVP award for the best defender, contributing to eight clean sheets, along with an 83 per cent tackle success rate. He is also a threat in front of goal, scoring 11 goals in 98 appearances for the Granata.
With all that mentioned, the number one asset of his game is his sheer physicality, which is incredibly difficult to handle for any striker looking to make space and move away from him.
The best example of this was coincidently the 1-1 draw against Juventus in which Bremer arguably had his best performance, keeping talented striker Dušan Vlahović quiet to a minimal of touches and was simply a brick wall.
That derby highlighted Bremer’s tactical awareness to stick close to Vlahović, force the opposition to slow the game down and pass backwards, win aerial duels, be calm playing out from the back and be in the right position to commit perfectly timed tackles and desperate clearances.
This is a strong contender for the best signing of the European transfer window because of the domino effect it will have in the Champions League against the two biggest signings of Erling Haaland of Manchester City and Robert Lewandowski of Barcelona.
These are two big-profile names, and deservedly so, as they have a goal-scoring pedigree that very few current forwards can match.
However, despite Bremer’s lack of experience in elite European competition against some of the biggest clubs and names, he will be a difficult opponent for those two new signings mentioned.
If Juve can discover some defensive solidity and learn how to play with each other, Bremer has all the qualities, such as pace, positioning and physicality, to bully a player like Haaland or Lewandowski. They both play for teams who like to play an expansive, fast-paced and free-flowing brand of football in which the Brazilian defender can force opponents to play at a slower pace.
The €47 million price tag is also a bargain in today’s market, which also plays a role in this debate. In the modern game, quality defenders are very hard to come by, and Juve has certainly used the money from the De Ligt sale to useful effect by investing in a gem and beating rivals Inter Milan to his signature.
Haaland’s release clause of around €70 million ($103.48 million) can definitely also be considered a bargain, and if people wish to argue that he is the best summer signing, there will be no complaints.
Bremer is simply underrated. He will get even better under the guidance of a tactical mastermind like Allegri, and he has all the foundations to succeed at Juventus, as the club is known for its defensive prowess.
With the amount of ridiculous money circulating in the Premier League, clubs will be ruing the day that they did not keep close tabs on Bremer or at least make a sufficient bid.
Time will tell if this transfer will be a success, but there’s no doubt Bremer has all the qualities and traits to become one of the world’s best centre-backs.
He’s certainly one to keep a close eye on.
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