2010 Transfer Target Player Profiles: Leonardo Bonucci

By: roberto | June 26th, 2010

Bari

With Fabio all set for his Dubai adventure next season, Marotta can’t hide the fact that he’ll be interested in some reinforcements for our backline during the summer transfer window. After a season where Juventus tied a club record for domestic losses, and conceded more goals than the relegated side from Bergamo, finding a suitable partner for Chiellini in the middle of our defense must be a top priority. According to the latest rumours, the now Bari owned Italian international, Leonardo Bonucci is once again leading the pack. So without further ado, here is the young centre-back’s profile.

Born May 1st 1987 in Viterbo, a township in the Lazio region of central Italy, Leonardo Bonucci began his professional career with local Serie D side A.S. Viterbese Calcio when he was seventeen years old. A year later, Bonucci was loaned to Inter in the summer of 2005. He then became a member of their primavera team after having played a few pre-season friendlies with their first team. Towards the end of the 2005-06 season, Leonardo made his Serie A debut in the last match of the year against Cagliari where they tied 2-2. At the end of the season, Inter bought Bonucci outright.

In January 2007, Serie B side Treviso was sold half of Bonucci’s rights but the young central defender remained with Inter’s primavera squad. In what would turn out to be his last season with Inter’s youth team, Leonardo helped his side win the Primavera Coppa Italia in 2006-07. Then, in a move that saw Treviso sell Inter the second half of Robert Acquafresca’s rights, Inter sold Treviso the rest of the rights to Bonucci, plus two other prospects on July 1st 2007.

In the following season with Treviso, Bonucci appeared in 27 matches and managed to find the back of the net twice. Then in June 2008, Inter bought Bonucci’s registration rights outright, for the second time. He remained at Treviso on loan for half of the 2008-09 season before joining the then Serie B side Pisa during the winter transfer period. While playing the second half of the year for Pisa, he was coached by none other than Bari’s future head coach, Giampiero Ventura.

That summer, after his brief spell at Pisa, the 6ft 3in centre-back was transferred to Genoa alongside Robert Acquafresca, Francesco Bolzoni, and Riccardo Meggiorini, as part of the deal that sent Thiago Motta and Diego Milito to Inter on July 1st 2009. A deal that’s currently being investigated by the FIGC. Shortly thereafter however, Leonardo was transferred to newly promoted Bari from Genoa, on a co-ownership deal, along with Meggiorini (co-ownership deal), Matteo Paro (co-ownership deal), Andrea Ranocchia (loan), and Giuseppe Greco (loan), and was re-united with his former head coach from Pisa.

There at Bari, he formed a strong partnership with fellow central defender Andrea Ranocchia, and half way through the 2009-10 season, the Serie A newcomers enjoyed the second best defensive record throughout the peninsula. Unfortunately, as the saying goes ‘it takes two to tango’, so when Bonucci’s defensive partner suffered a season ending knee injury in January, things weren’t quite the same. Nonetheless to Leonardo’s credit, he earned his first call-up from Italy in February 2010 during a friendly against Cameroon, and in June 2010 he was named to Lippi’s final squad headed to the World Cup in South Africa.

The young centre-back wasn’t featured in any of Italy’s group games at the World Cup, but still the talk of his future was far and wide. On the final day of the co-ownership agreement deadline, Bari purchased the rest of his rights from Genoa for €7.5 million. However, things might just be beginning to heat up as according to reports, Leonardo could be on his way to Juventus very shortly for €14 million, in addition to the services of Sergio Almiron on co-ownership heading to Bari for at least the next two seasons. Subsequently, seeing as Juventus just sold the rest of their rights to Domenico Criscito for €6 million, the move to secure another promising defender in Criscito’s place is probably next to complete.

Bonucci Chiellini

IERI… OGGI… DOMANI… SEMPRE JUVE!!!

2010 Transfer Target Player Profiles and Other Links:

#1- Milos Krasic
#2- Simone Pepe
#3- Jorge Martinez
#4- Leonardo Bonucci

And if you liked this article…
Check out 2010 Juventini World Cup Profiles
Follow the Juventus Offside on Facebook
Follow the Juventus Offside on Twitter
Juventus Offside Email and RSS Feed

Some Related Juventus Posts:

Category: 2010 Transfer Target: Player Profiles, Chiellini, Coach, Competitions, Italian National Team, Management, Marotta, Players, Serie A, Team News

« Going To The Mattresses… I Mean Envelopes | Home | And Krasic said: Let my People Go »

Anthony

Comrade, if the rumours are true and Giovinco is going on loan or co-ownership...then we'll need cover in the wing positions. If Camo leaves, Giovinco might still end up staying...but I don't think he'll be considered a starter. So I think it would probably be in his best interest to send him on loan.

If Juve started slowly integrating him 2 years ago then there wouldn't be any problem. But he's been sitting on the bench for 2 years...he needs to play more regularly now. So I think it's too late to integrate him slowly now. It's probably better for him to go out on loan.
Anthony

I am definitely FOR the use of technology. It will never be perfect...that doesn't mean we shouldn't try to make it better. We'll never be able to fix all the problems, but why not fix the ones we can. That article arguing why a challenge system wouldn't work is weak if you ask me. There may still be incorrect corners given...but that happens now anyway. Why not at least fix the incorrect penalties given lol.

Regarding Martinez, he plays on the right if I'm not mistaken. He is also capable of playing on the left though...just like Pepe. And he's capable of playing as a striker as well. I imagine if Krasic comes that him and Camo (if he remains) will play on the right, and Martinez and Pepe would mainly play on the left. If Camo leaves, then we'll see what happens.
Comrade

Re: Technology, I am personally in favor of introducing technology at highest levels starting with goal/no goal followed by offsides. I don't see a viable solution to incorrect free kicks/corners as lots of them can happen in every game but very few are game changing. I think that was the point of the article.

Re: Martinez, I was talking about his playing side on the pitch. Its fairly clear we are going to employ 4-4-2. If he plays on left, that would surely mean the end of Giovinco? If he plays on right, why are we still tracking Krasic?
Pablo

I don't like those arguments either Comrade. It's obvious technology won't solve all the issues, but could help with some. One of the main arguments of that article was that it wouldn't work in certain situations, but I think that's not enough to not consider technology. The question would be where do you draw the line (as someone mentioned before), and that would be an arbitrary call that will satisfy some people and will outrage others (just like now).

I don't know, I still say it is a very subjective matter, depending on what do you want. Some people want controversies, others want "perfect" games.

A phrase from Douglas Adams comes to my mind: "A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools." Referees will always make mistakes, even when interpreting videos.
Godson Hernandez

http://www.goal.com/en/news/11... guy really wants us. CSKA should lower their their asking price and let krasic join us. What's 1.5 mil to them?
rhaaj

i am impressed with marotta so far on how much work has already been done on transfers. thinking that he just got started in his role a month back, it is really impressive. by this time, secco wud have probably bought krasic for 17 million & let go of criscito for 4 million. we still have 2 months left and i am fairly confident marotta will give del neri a decent squad to work with.
rhaaj

http://www.goal.com/en/news/11...

tuttosport reporting a loan move for marco motta. not bad if comes on loan, i guess. i'd be perfect if we can sell both grygera & zebina and buy caceres instead. caceres & motta as backup would be great.
Jorid

Comrade: If you were asking about his favorite team, then like Ale said, probably Wanderers or Nacional in Uruguay, since he's played for them earlier in his career; if you're asking about which side of the pitch he prefers to play in, I'm not 100% sure but I think mostly the right.
agiamba

Some team in Uruguay/Argentina, I'd assume Comrade. In Italy, I'm not sure.
agiamba

Don't really buy most of those arguments. As Jason Gay in the WSJ called it, it's the "slippery-slopers." Simply put, you could review the major decisions. Goals, penalties, and straight red cards. Not free kicks, not yellow cards, not offside given when perhaps wrongly. Goals, penalties, and red cards typically have a natural break in the game anyways of about a minute (depending on the nature of the red card) which is plenty of time for the head referee to run over to the sideline and watch the action twice or so.
Comrade

Anyone knows which is Martinez's preferred side?
Comrade

For people who are worried about the flow of the game being interrupted if they use technology to review incidents, why not introduce a challenge system

Some valid arguments against the challenge system: http://tinyurl.com/2f2t7ba
Anthony

CSKA increased their asking price after Man City showed interest, so Juve backed down. Juve can't just accept all CSKA's demands. It shows other teams that Juve might negotiate with that if they increase their price that we'll agree. I'm sure Juve is willing to compromise and meet somewhere in the middle, but CSKA has to lower their demands. They can't just increase their asking price in the middle of negotiations.

It also didn't help that Juve needed to sign Storari. That means Juve can't really go too much over what they want to spend on Krasic. They can go a little higher, but not much. They have a budget they need to stay in.
Anthony

Regarding the Krasic deal, it's not definitely dead as some people have said. It's just up to CSKA to review their demands now and Juve will still buy him for the right price. Considering Krasic has said he only wants Juve, that's a good sign for us. Either Krasic is staying at CSKA or he's coming to Juve. Those are the only possibilities.
Rob

On topic, I appreciate being shrewd with money, but on the back of last season, Juve is better off going over budget than repeating 2009-2010. What’s a couple extra mil for Krasic, for a club like Juve, come on, he is fantastic.
Anthony

For people who are worried about the flow of the game being interrupted if they use technology to review incidents, why not introduce a challenge system. Teams have a certain number of challenges they could use to challenge the refs decision. You know they'll only use the challenge if they believe they'll win because they wouldn't want to waste them. And the introduction of this will limit the amount of diving (especially in the box) because if teams challenge and they're caught diving, they will be booked. And it's not like teams will be challenging every 5 min. They won't want to waste them. And it's not like the players don't argue about bad calls and disrupt the flow of the game anyway.

So that plus the use of goal line technology would improve things drastically without disrupting the flow of the game.
Rob

I've sat on the fence regarding video ref for a while but I think its bullshit that its a hot topic now that it has affected England.

Look, England was shit, probably as shit as Italy. Their defence v Germany was shit, attrotious, horrid. The Sunday teams at my local park play better. No it would not have changed the game going 2-2, the germans would have exposed that garbage back line regardless.

The video ref debate needs to be seperated from the English defeat because we really need to highglight how shit England was, as we desperately need to stress Italy was shit, without any external influences. This is important, or else we dont learn from mistakes.
leo

what did you guys think of carlos salcido the left back for mexico?

i was really impressed, maybe he could come cheap as a backup as hes already 30 i think
bertrand

Melo isn't a bad player but he needs to fix his attitude heh.

Also, thanks Pablo for not addressing my points at all.

Valuations are all subjective..there isn't a right or wrong to that.
Alto

Going to Man City to join his brother Kolo.

Sissoko-Marchisio will be the two in the central positions ...
bianconeri

Yaya Toure is likely to leave Barca this summer, maybe we can trade Melo for him.
Rinaldo

We need a defensive midfielder. No more Melo.
bianconeri

Cigarini would be interesting, but do you guys think our team would be successful without a pure DM?
agiamba

Think Chiellini is just nowhere as effective at LB as he is at CB.

Candreva is actually valued by Udinese at 17mil....we had the right to buy half of him for 8.5mil. Blah.

dweb- Could be. Cigarini works better in a 4-4-2 than Mazzari's formation, and GDN coached him for a season at Atalanta.
dweb

luca cigarini for the midfield? might be leaving napoli if an offer interests him. ive always like his game.
Rinaldo

^No, he is not. That is why Juve let him go.
Alto

Also, how is Candreva's HALF worth 7 million?

I like him alot and wished he came to Roma last year, but is he really a 14 million euro player?
Alto

I thought Giovinco had gone to Bari?

I love how many of you don't put Pepe into the starting 11-- a mortal lock at RM for the next season.
Anthony

If moving Chiellini to LB means Giovinco would get a shot at LM...then I'm all for trying it. Maldini is an example of a player who often switched between fullback and CB. So I think Chiellini can do it too.
bianconeri

I really like that idea of moving Chiellini to LB. IMO he could become one of the best LB's in the world after a year or so.
agiamba

Johonna, those figures seem a bit high- From what I understand, we gave Genoa Criscito's co-ownership, and then Almiron (who was fully owned by us this last season) and about 6.5-7.5million euros to Bari.

Criscito's co-ownership probably cost around 6.5, Almiron 4.5, so valuations we spent 16-17, but in cash...very little.

Between Storari, Pepe, Bonucci, we've spent a grand total of 13mil or so thus far. Not bad.
Rinaldo

Bonucci: «I already feel like a Juventino»
After the medical check-ups and while waiting to finalize the contract, the defender from Viterbo made his first steps as a bianconero: «For me this is a starting point. I want to become great with this team».
Jose

What if Marotta just buys another CB to partner Bonnucci and shifts King Giorgio to left back. That would be a defensive minded fullback to cover Giovinco's back on the left wing.

-----------------Buffon------------------
RB-----Bonnucci-----Mexes-----Chiellini
Krasic---Marchisio---Melo------Giovinco
-----------------Diego---------------
-------------Amauri/Iaquinta/etc---------

I put Mexes because he is on the market right now, I would prefer Rannochia or Kjaer there but I don't think it will happen. I also put Krasic in that position because in the end I think the player's wishes will prevail.
Rinaldo

The Krasic deal is definitely dead, Marotta has confirmed as much already.

Vs.

http://www.football-italia.net...
tom

vs. this... http://www.tuttosport.com/calc...
tom

http://www.corrieredellosport....
Pablo

Hi bertrand, thanks for calling me ridiculous and idiot. So much for respecting opinions I guess.

I think the team you proposed is unrealistic (not ridiculous nor idiotic), since Krasic won't come for 15 mil (CSKA raised his price tag after Man City goit in the bidding) and there's no way (as Johonna mentioned) that Lotito will release Kolarov for less than 22-23 mil, when Madrid is interested in the player.

And remember that the extra 25 mil from sales included Criscito, Almiron, etc. Thus after Bonucci (even if we only spent 5.5 mil cash) his actual price was more like 13-15 mil from your budget.

Best regards.
nico

i don't want video technology. controversy is important in football. of we'd had it all these years there would be no hand of god, grosso (non) dive against the aussies, the phantom liverpool goal vs chelsea.

what would we talk about.

please no-one respond to this. i don't want to debate. just voicing my opinion.
Mass

I think candreva seems like a very versatile player who could easily fit into central midfield or on either wing. I think he could happily fit into our system and he has the quality to be a success. Not to mention that he is young and Italian. Anyway that decision has been made now.
bianconeri

Candreva would not fit into our new system, he's best as an attacking midfielder and he can't play as a support striker.