Merih Demiral excited to work with the likes of Chiellini and Bonucci

Juventus’ summer signing Merih Demiral has said that he is excited to work with the likes of Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci after making the move from Sassuolo.

The Turkey international only joined Sassuolo from Alanyaspor last winter but his performances were impressive enough for the Bianconeri, who went on to land his signature.

Speaking during the unveiling, Demiral said that he is honoured to be compared with former Bianconeri star Paolo Montero. He added that he is aiming to learn from the likes of Chiellini and Bonucci as well as manager Maurizio Sarri to become a better player, he told: “To be compared to Montero is an honour for me. I hope to be able to show the fans that I'm a strong defender and live up to that expectation.

“My real idols are the players that I'm playing with now, like Chiellini. Chiellini and Bonucci have been helping me a lot to settle in here as well as the other players, I hope to learn a lot from them. [Head coach Maurizio] Sarri looks over the defensive side of play personally and this allows me to train in the best possible way and work on my weaknesses.”

Demiral has featured at the heart of the defence during the course of his career, but there are no assurances of regular gametime at the Bianconeri. Bonucci and Chiellini have been the constants when it comes to the central defensive department but summer arrival Matthijs de Ligt could break the partnership while Daniele Rugani remains another competitor.

As such, Demiral can’t expect a straightforward route to the starting XI and he may need to remain patient for opportunities. A recent report from Calciomercato claimed that he could potentially be loaned out to AC Milan for the season but that does not seem the case with Rugani appearing the more likely to head through the exit door. Rugani, who has been a regular back-up for the Bianconeri, has been touted to join Roma on loan with the obligation to buy next summer.