Arriving in a sharp blue jacket over a crisp white shirt, Patrik Schick landed in Turin on Thursday morning oozing confidence. Having just helped his Czech Republic side to a 3-1 victory over Italy’s Under-21s, the spring in his step was unquestionably earned after a breakout 2016/17 campaign, as was his impending move to Juventus.
Completing the first part of his medical, the young striker will finalise his €30 million deal with the Bianconeri when his international duties have concluded. Given that he had joined the Genoa-based club less than a year ago, that still represents a remarkable profit on the €4 million they handed to Sparta Prague back in July 2016.
Watch this space, Bianconeri...
Yet it is also unquestionably a worthwhile investment for Juve, the 21-year-old making a remarkable impact in his debut season in Serie A. At first glance, his final tally of 11 goals from 32 appearances does not seem particularly impressive, but given that he – an inexperienced youngster at a mid-table club – started only 14 of those matches, Schick’s ability to find the back of the net every 137 minutes is remarkable.
He will have undoubtedly found himself on Juve’s radar all year, especially following a strike in Samp’s loss at Juventus Stadium last October that saw him bag his first goal since moving to Italy. The Bianconeri were already 2-0 ahead when Belgian midfielder Dennis Praet intercepted a wayward Giorgio Chiellini pass, scampering away down the left flank before firing a low cross into the box.
Running between two would-be markers, Schick turned the ball beyond the goalkeeper Neto with ease, giving his new club an early glimpse of his deadly accuracy. He would go on to hit the target with 60% of his attempts last term, needing just 3.18 shots per goal, a figure that compares favourably with future team-mates Gonzalo Higuain (4.45), Paulo Dybala (5.9) and Mario Mandzukic (6.4).
However, watching Schick closely, there is so much more to his game than that impressive shooting prowess. He is a willing passer, making 28.6 attempts per 90 minutes – and connecting with a solid 74.9% of them – while also creating 1.2 scoring opportunities per game and making three assists.
That owes much to his confidence and assured decision-making, while he also plays with an audacious flair that excites fans and regularly had the Sampdoria faithful leaping out of their seats at the Marassi.
In fact, many of his goals come as a direct result of Schick’s almost flawless first touch, a skill that allows him to repeatedly open up more time and space than he would otherwise be afforded in the penalty area.
Further downfield, the ability to control the ball so well sees him shine as an excellent and effective dribbler, while preventing him from falling into the trap of becoming predictable. Rather than beat opponents with a limited number of tricks he has rehearsed for hours, Schick is instead able to react to a defender’s movements, his balance and control of the ball allowing him to then shift beyond them with relative ease.
That gives him something of a nonchalant air, playing with the same confidence and swagger with which he breezed into J-Medical on Thursday morning. But it must be noted that while his on-field persona is that of a brash maverick, off the pitch he is a humble young man who recognises that respect, hard work and an awareness of how much he has yet to accomplish are vital. He certainly has a fan in Juventus Vice President Pavel Nedved, who gushed about his compatriot during a recent interview with Czech website Denik.
“Schick has a great future in front of him. Right now he doesn’t have the muscles, but you can just imagine him in two or three years,” the Bianconeri icon said earlier this month. “He reminds me of Zlatan Ibrahimovic because he was like that when he came to Juve. He didn’t have the muscles either, then he bulked up and turned into a world class striker. Schick is also this type of forward – great feet, tall and fast, so if Patrik keeps improving himself he can turn into a world class striker as well.”
His ability is somewhat reminiscent of the big Swede, shrug off defenders with his 6’2” frame, keep them away from the ball and act as a classic centre-forward but also drift deep in search of the ball and create openings for others. However, Schick is much quicker around the pitch, preferring to pull out wide to the right and then dart in towards goal, a habit that would make him a less than ideal fit alongside Dybala at Juventus.
However, it is here where arguably the new man’s greatest attribute comes to the fore. It was mentioned earlier but it is worth repeating that 18 of Schick’s 32 Serie A appearances came as a substitute, Sampdoria Coach Marco Giampaolo joking that he had to “keep him on the bench because otherwise they’ll sell him!”
If the player developed a reputation as an impact player late in games, it was certainly one he earned, scoring six of his 11 league goals when coming off the bench. With the Bianconeri having a well-established front line that Schick is unlikely to displace, the fact he spent a season making an impact as a reserve will stand him in good stead while also being of major value to his new side.
As 2016/17 came to an end, Juve’s attacking players could take little rest, meaning a backup for the likes of Higuain and Dybala would be an essential part of their summer transfer business. Able to step in for either man or change a game from the bench, something that was sorely missing on numerous occasions last term and was notably absent in their Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid. Furthermore, Max Allegri has been slow to integrate youngsters, meaning his ability to shine in limited time on the field will be essential if he is to get his time in Turin off to a good start.
The Czech star will fill clearly a variety of needs in Max Allegri’s squad and it is quite possible the Old Lady has just bought the player best suited to such an undefined role. Now, she and Patrik Schick will hope that he can continue his “super-sub” act in the famous black and white stripes of Juventus.
