The Juventus defence has been outstanding and fairly settled for a while now, but the season ending injury suffered by Giorgio Chiellini opened a door for someone else to step up this season.
It was widely expected that Matthijs de Ligt would be the player to benefit, he was outstanding for Ajax in their Champions League run where he showed leadership and composure far beyond his years. The Guardian also reported that Juve paid €75m to sign him, so that usually means he would get every chance.
READ MORE: Opinion: 10 players who need a January transfer window move, including Chelsea and Man United stars
The Dutchman has still been a regular, but mistakes and some erratic form have hampered his season so far. It’s starting to look like a less heralded Summer addition is starting to break through.
Merih Demiral had to be patient, he barely played until a few weeks ago and he seems like a prime candidate for a move this month. A recent report from Goal suggested that Borussia Dortmund and Leicester City were heavily interested, but then he started to get some first team minutes.
They go on to say that he’s now in contention for his fifth consecutive start, and that means that Juve now have no intention of letting him leave in the Winter window.
It now sounds like Maurizio Sarri is starting to trust him and that means he won’t be going anywhere. When you consider that Chiellini turns 36 next Summer, he might struggle to return to his previous level so Demiral could have the ideal chance to establish himself as his long-term successor.