When Pavel Nedved announced he would be retiring at the end of the season it was no real surprise given his age. It was a sad day for Juve fans and indeed the world of football in general and now the bianconeri have been left with the difficult task of finding a replacement for the Czech playmaker. With that in mind I’ve thought of a list of possible candidates who could possibly fill Nedved’s boots at the Stadio Olimpico next season.
Rafael Van der Vaart
Dutchman Van der Vaart has endured a difficult first
season at Real Madrid and has struggled for first-team action. The 26-year-old did start the campaign as a regular in the Real side after his move from German outfit Hamburg but has been a peripheral figure since Juande Ramos arrived at the Bernabeu. Like Nedved he has a knack for finding the net and has an outstanding delivery from set-pieces. His availability could all depend on who is in charge at Real next season but Van der Vaart would be an excellent addition to the Juve side.Niko Kranjcar
Kranjcar currently plays for Premier League side Portsmouth but has admitted he is looking to move to a bigger club this summer. He is an excellent player when in possession and can deliver some great passes and crosses from all over the pitch. At just 24-years-old he is already a stalwart of the Croatian side and like Van der Vaart has a good delivery from set-pieces. One criticism of Kranjcar is he perhaps doesn’t score as often as he should but his assist rate is fairly decent and he is usually the instigator of Portsmouth’s attacks.Carlos Tevez
The Argentine will probably be available in the summer as it looks
as if he is unhappy in his role of squad player at Manchester United. His loan spell in Manchester runs out at the end of the season and any potential suitor will have to pay somewhere between £20million and £30million to secure his services. Granted Tevez is more of a supporting striker than a midfielder and it would require a change in tactics to accommodate him but he could do a decent job for Juve. His work rate is phenomenal and he has a habit of being in the right place at the right time as well as displaying some impressive skills on occasion. Tevez has said he would prefer a move to Spain but if neither Real Madrid or Barcelona come calling he could well move to Serie A.Diego
The Brazilian Diego currently plies his trade at Bundesliga outfit Werder Bremen but rumours have circulated he could be on his way out of the Weserstadion this summer. The 24-year-old is an extremely gifted attacking midfielder and has already represented Brazil 28 times. Diego is perhaps the most suited player on this list to replace Nedved but with reported interest from Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid his price-tag and wages could be very high. Werder Bremen have already confirmed Juve’s interest in Diego and it could be a good football bet that he will be the man who steps in to fill Nedved’s shoes in Turin next season.Gareth Freeman
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