Official: Juventus Next Gen sign young Bologna defender on loan | OneFootball

Juventus have officially announced the signing of Riccardo Stivanello who will join the club’s Next Gen squad.

The official Juventus Next Gen Twitter account announced the move on Tuesday, revealing that the player has joined on loan from Bologna.

The 19-year-old will feature for Massimo Brambilla’s squad in Serie C for the 2023/24 campaign.

It remains unclear if the Bianconeri will have the option to buy him outright at the end of the season. But this is often the case in the club’s transactions.

Stivanello is a young defender who started his career at Cittadella. He then joined Bologna in 2018 where he climbed his way through the ranks.

The teenager has been featuring for the Emilian club’s Primavera squad. His performances have been impressive enough to warrant calls from the national team, representing Italy at the U18 and U19 levels.

So let’s see how the teenager will fare in Turin amidst stronger competition for starting places.

Playing with Juventus Next Gen will grant Stivanello the chance to prove his worth against senior professionals who ply their trade in Italy’s third division.

Several Next Gen youngsters managed to make the leap to in recent years and join Max Allegri’s first team. Dean Huijsen and Kenan Yildiz are the two most recent examples.