Kalulu’s impact at Juventus recalls past Milan outcast’s trajectory | OneFootball

Pierre Kalulu’s excellent impact at Juventus recalls the trajectory of Edgar Davids, another Milan outcast who ended up making the Bianconeri’s fortunes between the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Kalulu joined the Old Lady on loan in the summer at the end of lengthy negotiations and his status has since changed from back-up plan to reliable defensive option, especially after Bremer’s injury, which is why Juventus are already rubbing their hands for the prospects of making his move permanent for a cheap fee.

The French defender piled up a series of impressive displays in his first games under Thiago Motta, who was crucial in persuading him to swap the Rossoneri for Juventus over the summer.

Juventus: Italian media draw parallel between Kalulu and Davids

Kalulu joined Juventus on a €3m paid loan with a €14m option-to-buy, plus bonuses, which the Bianconeri are likely to trigger at the end of the season if the 24-year-old keeps playing the way he did in his first outings at the Allianz Stadium.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the story of Kalulu moving from Milan to the Old Lady in a bargain deal recalls what happened to Edgar Davids, a multiple Serie A winner with Juventus.

The Dutch midfielder left the Rossoneri after two seasons in 1997 following rifts with the team’s veterans, leading the club to dispatch him to their rivals for a relatively cheap fee, around €4.5m.

Unexpectedly for many, Davids became a key player to Marcello Lippi’s Juventus, winning the Serie A title three times as well as two Italian Supercups.

Hopes at the Allianz Stadium are that Kalulu can replicate David’s trajectory with the Bianconeri’s shirt, helping his side lift the Serie A trophy again, putting an end to a four-season drought.

Kalulu is set to become an undisputed starter alongside Federico Gatti in Juventus’ defence, after Thiago Motta was deprived of defensive cornerstone Gleison Bremer, who will be ruled out for months after sustaining a cruciate ligament injury.