Azzurri international frontman Pablo Daniel Osvaldo combines raw power with deft technical ability and spectacular strikes with clinical finishes
Pablo Daniel Osvaldo joins Juventus as one of Italy’s top strikers, a
dynamic and lethal forward with a proven goalscoring record on Italian
soil and abroad.
The Argentina-born Azzurri international is a complete modern
striker: quick, strong and a frequent provider of assists, offering
plenty of options for Antonio Conte in the final third.
Born in Buenos Aires on 12 January 1986, Osvaldo began his career
at local club Huracán. His performances in a strong debut season soon
attracted the attentions of teams across the globe, prompting Italian
second-tier outfit Atalanta to capture his services in January 2006.
After spending the following year at Lecce, Serie A club Fiorentina
then recognised that a player of his calibre belonged in the top
flight, winning the race for his signature with a bid in the region of
€4.6 million.
He scored a brace on his Viola debut against Livorno, and went on
to feature in their UEFA Cup and Champions League campaigns before a
transfer to Bologna.
In 2010, he moved to Spain to join Espanyol, inspiring the
Catalonia-based side to a successful eighth-place finish. His haul of 20
goals in 44 games soon triggered a big money offer from Roma, making
him one of Luis Enrique’s first signings at the club.
It was with the Giallorossi that his unquestionable abilities
really came to the fore, finishing both the 2011/12 and 2012/13 seasons
as the team’s top scorer with 11 and 16 goals respectively. With a total
of 28 in 57 appearances, he was described by former coach Zdenek Zeman
as a “force of nature”.