Juventus manager Igor Tudor is pleased with the overall performance of Nicolo Savona, but believes he still has some adjustments to make.
The 22-year-old is a youth product of the club who climbed his way up the ranks to become a member of the first team at the start of the season.
The Italian managed to impress Thiago Motta and his technical staff in pre-season last summer, so he immediately became a protagonist in the senior squad, even displacing former club captain Danilo.
Savona’s first season was filled with highs and lows
Savona then encountered some physical and technical hurdles along the way, before being reduced to a benchwarmer upon Tudor’s appointment in March.
Nevertheless, an injury crisis forced the Croatian to field the Aosta native as part of the three-man backline, and the latter made the most of his opportunity.
Although he’s originally a right-back, Tudor is now deploying Savona as the central defender between Pierre Kalulu and Lloyd Kelly, taking on the sweeper’s role following the departure of Renato Veiga.
Ahead of Thursday’s contest Cup World Cup contest against Manchester City, the manager expressed his satisfaction with the Italian’s displays, but urged him to add a few pounds to make himself a more imposing defender.
“Savona is doing well in the position I have deployed him in. He needs to put on some weight and strength to deal with some situations, though,” said the 46-year-old in his pre-match press conference via JuventusNews24.
Igor Tudor heaps praise on Nicolo Savona
“We are working on it, but beyond that, there are so many positive takeaways. He is professional and has great football intelligence.
“He understands what is happening on the pitch, and he has great speed. So we’re talking about a player with so many skills.
“He is a humble guy who listens to advice. These are things that may seem obvious, but they are not at all. He has those values that are getting a bit lost, so they are precious now.”
