Report: Nicolo Rovella will remain at Genoa for the rest of the season

At this point, there look to be very good odds when it comes to at least one midfielder leaving Juventus this coming January. It might be Arthur, it might be Aaron Ramsey, it might be both of them or it could be somebody else that we aren’t even considering, but some sort of shake-up definitely looks like it’s going to be taking place.

That means somebody will likely arrive to take that roster spot (or spots).

That potential freed up roster spot won’t be taken by one of Juve’s brightest young talents.

According to Goal Italia’s Romeo Agresti earlier this week, Juventus’ plans for young Italian midfielder Nicolo Rovella haven’t changed even though looks to be a move away from the club for somebody like Arthur or Ramsey next month. That means that Rovella, signed from Genoa and then loaned right back during the last January transfer window, will be staying right where he is during the upcoming winter window.

This comes after report a report earlier this month said that Juventus were seriously considering ending Rovella’s 18-month loan early and bringing him back to Turin to fill the roster void that will be created when one of the many under-fire midfielders heads out.

Instead, one of the most reputable Italian journalists covering Juventus has now said that Rovella returning to the club that bought him last January looks extremely unlikely, if not completely ruled out.

In theory, this is very much the logical choice if you want Rovella to get more consistent playing time. As much as we would like to see the young Italian back at Juventus in January, he is guaranteed to play more often than not at Genoa when he’s healthy.

Even with a departure or two of a current Juventus midfielder, getting consistent playing time in Turin wouldn’t necessarily be a lock by any means. If he were to get consistent minutes, Rovella would likely have to push the issue and surpass somebody like Adrien Rabiot, Rodrigo Bentancur or Weston McKennie in the pecking order — which, at this point isn’t exactly something we can bank on.

Prior to getting injured earlier this month in Genoa’s loss to AC Milan, Rovella was in the midst of a very good season. He was proving to be one of the few bright spots for a Genoa side that currently sits in one of the relegation spots and has struggled to do much of anything right before and after its recent managerial change. In 15 appearances (all starts), Rovella recorded three assists — the second-highest total on the team — and was one of Genoa’s highest-rated players, according to WhoScored.

Despite missing the last three weeks with said muscle injury, Rovela has still played the fourth-most amount of minutes amongst Genoa outfield players. (Also, the three weeks he has missed due to injury is his longest injury-related absence of his young career, according to transfermarkt.com.)