OFFICIALLY OFFICIAL: Fabio Miretti signs extension through 2027

At the tender age of 18, Fabio Miretti provided a happy note to close out what was otherwise a relatively disappointing 2021-22 season. His senior team debut and subsequent handful of appearances showed that, despite still being just a teen, he has a bright future ahead of him.

To no one’s surprise, that future is going to be tied to Juventus for the foreseeable future.

Juventus announced Thursday that Miretti, still just 19 years old despite having over 1,500 Serie A minutes and nearly 50 appearances in all competitions to his name, has signed a contract extension through 2027. That means Miretti is now locked in at the club he grew up at — and, with his age, still growing at — until his mid-20s.

Miretti, who joined Juve’s youth setup since 2011, is the latest Bianconeri youngster to sign a long-term deal over the course of the last 12 months. No matter if it’s Nicolo Fagioli, Dean Huijsen or the other youngsters who are reportedly in talks to extend their deals like Kenan Yildiz or Samuel Iling-Junior, Juventus’ emphasis has been to lock in their young talents and have them develop closer to home more often than previous years.

While Miretti could very well go out on loan for the 2023-24 season — something that likely depends on both how he looks during the preseason and how Juve’s midfield plans play out — there is still plenty to like about his game thus far. (And, with a year out on loan with regular playing time, could continue to grow.)

Miretti, who will turn 20 years old in a couple of weeks, is one of the biggest prospects to come out of Juve’s Next Gen project, getting playing time in Serie C as a 16-year-old (!!) before his senior level debut a year later when he was 17. He made his senior debut in December 2021 when he came off the bench in the Champions League group stage, then his first appearance in Serie A against Salernitana three months later in mid-March.