Calciomercato.com

Analysis: What on earth has happened to Alex Sandro?

Analysis: What on earth has happened to Alex Sandro?

Alex Sandro has taken a few steps back, to say the least.

A few months ago, the Brazilian full-back was considered to be one of the best left-backs on the planet, alongside Marcelo and a few other candidates.

A powerful attacking player, the 26-year-old was making steady progress in defense, too, enough to earn offer above the €50 million mark from Chelsea.

​Yet, for some reason, he was unable to persuade Tite to call him up to international duty with Brazil. Ironically, now that the former Porto man is finally getting noticed by the Selecao, chances are that he isn’t the same player he once was.

​Perhaps he is distracted, or out of shape. Either way, he’s making plenty of mistakes, and not just in defense. He’s unrecognisable.

The trouble is that Juventus don’t have alternatives: though Allegri sees Asamoah as another starter-type player, he’s had mixed results.

The Coach doesn’t trust Mattia De Sciglio, a player he wanted. ]

Either way, Sandro is no longer the man who was well worth €25 million invested in him in 2015. He struggled enough as it is against Gerard Deulofeu, never mind Lionel Messi.

Whether it was his failure to move to Chelsea or something else, the 26-year-old is not the player he was. And yet he could be exactly the “signing” Juventus could do with. With Dani Alves gone, they have no more stars at the full-back position.

And they desperately need a right-back.

@NicolaBalice