Roberto Pereyra opens up on his move to join a star-studded Juventus team | OneFootball

Roberto Pereyra completed a memorable move to Juventus in the summer of 2014, an opportunity that felt almost unreal for the attacker. At the time, Juventus were the dominant force in Italian football and possessed some of the finest players in the world, including Andrea Pirlo and Paul Pogba. For many professionals, joining such a squad would have been a distant dream, and few believed they were at the required level to earn a place among those stars.

Juventus’ Interest in Pereyra

It therefore came as a considerable surprise to Pereyra when he was informed that the Old Lady were interested in signing him. Juventus had monitored his performances at Udinese and concluded that he had the qualities needed to contribute to their team. They were preparing for a season that would eventually lead them to the Champions League final and felt that his profile offered something valuable for their plans.

At Udinese, Pereyra had been performing confidently, seeking to enjoy his football and make an impact whenever possible. Juventus recognised his development and opted to take a chance on him, a decision that stunned the Argentine, who had not expected such a move and did not imagine he would play regularly in Turin.

Pereyra’s Reaction to the Move

Reflecting on the moment he learned of Juventus’ interest, Pereyra said via Calciomercato: “When I heard about their interest, I said: ‘ What am I going to do? At most, I’ll be a kitman .’ That Juventus team was a monster: I had Pirlo, Pogba, Marchisio, Vidal up front. I knew I’d start from the back, but I had to play my cards right. You never know what can happen. I thought: ‘Go and see. Maybe after a week they’ll tell you ‘Thanks Pereyra, you can go.’ I still remember their first words: ‘Here we only play to win.’ I silently thought: ‘Oh, shit.'”

His words capture both the awe and the determination he felt as he stepped into one of Europe’s strongest squads at the time.