Moroccan international Medhi Benatia has returned to the Serie A after spending two seasons at Bayern Munich, joining Serie A champions Juventus.
The 29-year-old had joined Bayern Munich from AS Roma in 2014 for a fee of €28m. The Moroccan, though, struggled for consistency under Pep Guardiola, making only 11 starts in the Bundesliga last season.
Benatia was heavily linked with a move to the Premier League, with Arsenal interested in securing his services. The central defender was also reported to be on the radar of Serie A champions Juventus and a couple of days ago was reportedly set to undergo a medical at Turin.
The speculation has finally been put to rest with Juventus confirming on their official website that the Moroccan has completed the move. The Old Lady confirmed that Benatia has joined the club on loan for a fee of €3m with an option to buy the player on a permanent basis during the duration of the loan by expending a further €17m.
OFFICIAL: @MedhiBenatia joins Juventus on loan from @FCBayernEN: https://t.co/XQje7jqwlY pic.twitter.com/Rdm5HCKPVz
— JuventusFC (@juventusfcen) July 15, 2016
This is not Benatia’s first venture in Italy as he previously played his football in Serie A for a season with AS Roma. The Moroccan was a mainstay at the centre of the Roma defence, notching up 5 goals in 33 league appearances in a single season. His performances got him a move to the Allianz Arena, but he has failed to make an impact for the Bavarians. The central defender made only 29 Bundesliga appearances over two seasons with only 2 goals to his name.
Medhi Benatia would be relieved to have secured a move to the Serie A champions after a torrid couple of seasons in Germany. The Moroccan has the experience to thrive in Italy and would also be vying for honours on a regular basis with Juventus.
Moroccan international Medhi Benatia has returned to the Serie A after spending two seasons at Bayern Munich, joining Serie A champions Juventus.
The 29-year-old had joined Bayern Munich from AS Roma in 2014 for a fee of €28m. The Moroccan, though, struggled for consistency under Pep Guardiola, making only 11 starts in the Bundesliga last season.
Benatia was heavily linked with a move to the Premier League, with Arsenal interested in securing his services. The central defender was also reported to be on the radar of Serie A champions Juventus and a couple of days ago was reportedly set to undergo a medical at Turin.
The speculation has finally been put to rest with Juventus confirming on their official website that the Moroccan has completed the move. The Old Lady confirmed that Benatia has joined the club on loan for a fee of €3m with an option to buy the player on a permanent basis during the duration of the loan by expending a further €17m.
OFFICIAL: @MedhiBenatia joins Juventus on loan from @FCBayernEN: https://t.co/XQje7jqwlY pic.twitter.com/Rdm5HCKPVz
— JuventusFC (@juventusfcen) July 15, 2016
This is not Benatia’s first venture in Italy as he previously played his football in Serie A for a season with AS Roma. The Moroccan was a mainstay at the centre of the Roma defence, notching up 5 goals in 33 league appearances in a single season. His performances got him a move to the Allianz Arena, but he has failed to make an impact for the Bavarians. The central defender made only 29 Bundesliga appearances over two seasons with only 2 goals to his name.
Medhi Benatia would be relieved to have secured a move to the Serie A champions after a torrid couple of seasons in Germany. The Moroccan has the experience to thrive in Italy and would also be vying for honours on a regular basis with Juventus.