Seeing Carlos Tevez don the much-coveted number 10 jersey at Juve for the first time eleven months ago brought mixed feelings to the Bianconeri faithful. El Apache is undoubtedly a fantastic player and has a very impressive CV from his time in England; 3 Premier League titles (2 with Manchester United, 1 with Manchester City), 1 Champions League trophy, 1 FA Cup, 1 League Cup, 2 Community Shield trophies, and a FIFA Club World Cup, however he also carries excess baggage with him. The fiery Argentine was perhaps more famous for his off-field troubles with Roberto Mancini rather than his on-field performances during his time with Manchester City. Purchased for a bargain fee of 9 million Euros (with performance-related bonuses potentially rising to 12 million), Tevez was immediately drafted into the starting lineup and from his SuperCoppa goalscoring debut onwards, he has shown no signs of stopping ever since.
Sharp, tireless, and full of grinta, Tevez has taken Serie A by storm and named Juve’s player of the season for his consistent displays and sublime play. 19 goals and 7 assists in 34 Serie A games only tell half of the story, because when Tevez wasn’t scoring, he chased the ball and constantly harried his opponents to regain possession for the team. The energy and the drive that he brings reflect the way this Scudetto-winning Juve side have been playing under Conte. While he hasn’t found his brilliant form in the Champions League, he eventually managed to break his drought with a priceless away goal against Benfica in the first leg of the Europa League semi-final.
The last time a Juve player managed to score more than 15 goals a season stretches back to the days where Alessandro Del Piero and David Trezeguet were still in black and white, so I’d say Beppe Marotta has done a great job in bringing Tevez for a meagre sum. Is he really worthy of the No. 10? A big yes. With Juve already busy searching for quick wide attackers in the market, hopefully Tevez can continue his rich vein of form alongside new faces next season.
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