THE opening of the 2019/20 January transfer window marks two years since Liverpool spent a record £75m to sign Virgil van Dijk from Southampton. Although the Dutchman’s quality was never in question, the size of the fee drove many to doubt the thinking of a club whose recent transfer dealings had otherwise proven remarkably savvy.
One Champions League triumph, a spot on the Ballon d’Or podium and a 13-point lead at the top of the Premier League later, though, and Van Dijk’s Merseyside move is lauded as the vital addition in Liverpool’s re-emergence among the European elite.
Thanks to Van Dijk’s success at Anfield, it is now widely accepted that a centre-back can be just as transformative a signing as a prolific striker or a thrilling creator. And this January, several clubs appear to have identified Juventus’ Merih Demiral as the must-have man at the back.
No matter what fee is offered, Juve are not interested in letting their prized young asset leave. Arsenal, Leicester, Dortmund and the rest of Demiral's suitors, will have to start looking for their own alternatives in the January window. [@romeoagresti]
— Z (@ZRAFC) January 5, 2020
The 11-cap Turkey international is reportedly wanted by Leicester City, Arsenal and Manchester United this month, with bids of as much as €40m rumoured – although it’s likely Juventus will want to see a greater return on the €18m investment they made just last summer to sign him from Sassuolo if they are to be convinced to sell.
Demiral first caught the eye as a teenager in Sporting CP’s second string, impressing with his snappiness in the tackle, power in the air and astute positioning for a player so young. After a brief, half-season stop back home in Turkey on loan with Alanyaspor last season, he joined Sassoulo only a year ago and settled instantly within the Italian top flight.
His year in Italy hasn’t been without controversy, however. In October, Demiral was among a handful of Turkey players who celebrated Cenk Tosun’s strike in a Euro 2020 qualifier against Albania with a military salute, and later expressed support on Twitter for Turkey’s offensive into north-eastern Syria. While this earned him praise from supporters of Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, many Juventus fans condemned his views and demanded the club terminate the player’s contract.
On the pitch, though, Demiral is far less polarising. At 6ft 3, he is an imposing aerial presence in both penalty areas and is physical and aggressive in his work. His size means he isn’t the quickest across the turf, but he is seldom caught short by pacy attackers thanks to his sound fundamental positioning, anticipation and timing of tackles.
The key attribute which marks Demiral out as a defensive prospect of the highest order is his concentration. Whether in one-v-one situations or as the opposition progress through intricate passing moves, his attention never wavers from where he should be positioned, and his intent focus on the ball means he does not fall prey to the fancy footwork of oncoming attackers.
In addition to his off-ball value, Demiral is also a crisp, snappy passer when possession is recovered, fizzing passes into midfield to instigate attacking moves for his side.
Sarri: "Demiral is exuding energy right now. He is in great physical and mental shape and it seems right to me to exploit his continuity." [Sky] pic.twitter.com/6DHGFZFw1B
— Juventus News – Juvefc.com (@juvefcdotcom) January 6, 2020
If there is an aspect of Demiral’s game that will be a cause of concern for scouts from his Premier League suitors, it is the fact his aggressive style often sees him play on the edge, his robust challenges teetering on the fringes of the law if not timed impeccably. The young centre-back has already been sent off twice in his fledgling career, although not (yet) during his stay in Serie A.
The reasoning being Leicester’s interest in Demiral is obvious: pairing him up with Caglar Soyuncu, who has so impressed at King Power this season, could see the Turkish duo in tandem for club and country for the next decade. Veteran Northern Irishman Jonny Evans is, of course, a more-than-able partner for Soyuncu at present, but the former Manchester United man is approaching the tail end of his prime, having just turned 32.
And Arsenal have been crying out for a centre-back of Demiral’s quality and authority for some time. The 21-year-old could be the ideal counter-balance to the enigmatic, unpredictable style of David Luiz, while also insuring Shkodran Mustafi’s services are required less frequently.
Although Manchester United are just five months removed from having made Harry Maguire the most-expensive defender of all time, they too have reason to consider a sizeable bid for Demiral. Maguire has settled well at Old Trafford, but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has not yet found the perfect partner for the Englishman, with Victor Lindelof failing to impress on a consistent basis and Phil Jones, well, being Phil Jones.
Demiral initially found playing time hard to come by in Turin, but has forced his way into Maurizio Sarri’s thinking of late, starting each of the Old Lady’s last five fixtures. As costly summer recruit Matthijs De Ligt struggles to impose himself with the Italian champions, the Turkish defender is emerging as one of Juve’s more reliable options and, as such, will prove a difficult signing for interested parties. “Demiral is now doing very well,” Sarri said recently. “He is pouring energy from every pore and it is right to take advantage of this condition.”
Prising Demiral away from Juventus will be no easy task, but, as Van Dijk has shown with Liverpool, finding the right centre-back is worth the effort.
