Italians claim Juventus regret swapping Alberto for João Mário | OneFootball

The swap between FC Porto and Juventus involving João Mário and Alberto Costa was one of the most notable operations of the summer transfer window in Portugal, not only because of the amount involved, but also due to the media spotlight; the Italians commented on this transfer again during the international break.

Gazzetta dello Sport claims that the Turin club is “regretting” letting the former Vitória de Guimarães player leave for his compatriot and highlights the player’s numbers in this excellent start to the season under Farioli. “Almost an assist per game…,” reads the headline.

In seven matches, Alberto has recorded five assists, all in the league, where he is the top assist provider alongside Dinis Pinto, also a right-back, from Moreirense. The 22-year-old missed two league rounds due to injury and has only 45 minutes in the UEFA Europa League.

João Mário started only three of the seven games (319 minutes on the pitch) and has one assist in the UEFA Champions League, in the 4-4 home draw with Dortmund – a goal that was, however, more down to Yildiz’s merit than to the Portuguese international. In the last match against Milan he didn’t even come off the bench, as Tudor has at times used Kalulu or McKennie on the right flank.

“For Juve, he was like a shooting star: he arrived suddenly in January and left a little over six months later, just when he was starting to shine. The problem, however, is that in the meantime he kept shining at his new club, while his replacement is struggling to find space and, for now, those playing in his position are doing so out of position. If speaking of regret may be premature, Juventus fans are certainly wondering what would have happened if Alberto Costa had stayed with the team…,” reads the Italian report.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.