Juventus can today confirm the arrival of midfielder Blaise Matuidi from Paris Saint-Germain. The French international, 30, has signed an three-year deal at the club until 30 June 2020.
As a point of departure, with four Ligue 1 titles, five Super Cup crowns, four League Cups and three French Cups, there can be no doubting Blaise Matuidi’s pedigree in terms of silverware and experience at the highest level of the game.
The 30-year old, most commonly deployed as one of three central players for former club PSG in six successful seasons in the French capital, now arrives at Juventus into a system that may well suit his combative, tactical and intelligent midfield qualities down to the ground.
CAREER KICKS OFF IN CLAIREFONTAINE
An alumnus of the famed Clairefontaine academy and a first-team regular wherever he has been since making his debut for ESTAC Troyes as a 17-year-old, the France international meets all the criteria of the modern all-round midfielder: strong in the tackle, accurate in his distribution and equally as capable in the final third as in defence.
Starting his career as a predominantly defensive-minded player at Troyes and then Saint-Etienne, a club he represented as captain at the age of 21, Matuidi’s transfer to Paris in the summer of 2011 marked the beginning of a radical transformation in the Frenchman’s play, simultaneously launching him into the public eye.
RISING TO PROMINENCE IN PARIS
Few people knew much about PSG’s number 14 at the time despite his consistency for Les Verts previously but the decision of then coach Carlo Ancelotti to hand him a more dynamic role in midfield ensured that would not be the case for long.
Given the license to hunt down possession and launch his team forwards on winning the ball back, Matuidi ended his second campaign in Paris with a hereto unbeaten tally of eight goals (in all competitions), a key contribution in returning the Ligue 1 trophy to the capital for the first time in 19 years.
From then, the left-footed enforcer, nicknamed Marathon Man for the sheer volume of work he commonly gets through over 90 minutes, would find the ideal role that combined his uncanny timing of the tackle and explosive athleticism to become an indispensable figure at the Parc des Princes.
MATUIDI THE MARATHON MAN
In the ensuing seasons, marked by consecutive league titles, valuable Champions League experience and increased goal scoring contributions (34 strikes in 295 PSG appearances), the sight of Matuidi regaining possession and then sending his team on the attack at lightning speed became common fare.
Remarkably given his all-action style, France Football 2015’s player of the year's unrelenting energy levels mean that he has appeared more than 50 times in every season since 2012/13.
Meanwhile for Les Bleus, Matuidi has clocked up 52 international caps, scoring eight goals in the process.
Expect to see plenty of him in black and white in the coming campaign.
Bienvenue, Blaise!