Getty Miralem Pjanic is being backed to be a hit at Barca
Barcelona’s latest signing Miralem Pjanic is being tipped to be a big star at the Camp Nou next season by one of his former coaches.
Paolo Rongoni, who worked closely with Pjanic as a fitness coach at Roma, told Sport’s Giacomo Iacobellis that the Catalan giants have an “authentic superstar” on their hands.
“Look, those of us who have worked with him know he’s an authentic superstar. It was an honor and privilege to work with a champion like Pjanic at Roma. We achieved historic results together.
“Look at the way he moves the ball unlike so many others. Of course he’s got the required quality for Barça or any other top club in the world. He’s technically sound, has incredible vision, can pass and is a magician at freekicks. He always adds a lot of goals and assists. He’s a mature player.”
Barcelona announced on Monday Pjanic will join the club at the end of the season on a four-year deal from Juventus. The Bosnia and Herzegovina international moves for a fee of $73 million, while Arthur will head to Juventus for $81m plus €10m in variables.
Pjanic Parties After Sealing Barca Move
Pjanic has made it clear that he is thrilled to be signing for Barcelona. He’s described the move as a “dream come true” and added that he “can’t wait” to head to the Camp Nou.
Juventus sporting director Fabio Paratici told Sky Sport Italia that Barcelona was the only club the 30-year-old would have left the Serie A champions for.
“Pjanic is a very important player for us, so when the option emerged, we spoke to Miralem and he said he was happy here, so the only club he would’ve left us for was Barcelona. We found this player Arthur, who we had been tracking for a long time, and who is younger than Pjanic.”
Meanwhile, footage has emerged of Pjanic celebrating his move to Barcelona with a party. A Barcelona shirt with his name on the back is also visible:
Can Pjanic Win Over the Doubters?
Barcelona’s decision to sell 23-year-old Arthur and replace him with a player seven years his senior has come in for criticism. The Catalan giants already have a number of veteran midfielders in their squad including Sergio Busquets, Ivan Rakitic, and Arturo Vidal.
Yet Rongoni insists Pjanic’s age is not something to worry about and is confident he can go on to enjoy a long career in Barcelona.
“He’ll play for many years at Barça. He’s an athlete of the highest quality. You need to remember Pjanic usually covers 13km per match. He trains to the fullest and only thinks about improving.
“He’s a great professional and he takes care of himself both on and off the pitch. That’s why he’s suffered fewer muscle injuries than most players at Roma and Juve. He recovers fast too and isn’t jealous of bigger names he shares the dressing room with.”
Pjanic has keen a key player again for Juventus this season. He’s featured in all but four of their Serie A matches and started all of their Champions League ties. The Turin giants are currently top of the table in Italy by four points with nine games left to play.
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