The next Paulo Dybala? Miralem Pjanic backs new €35m signing Kerim Alajbegovic to succeed at Juventus

Juventus have secured the services of 18-year-old Bosnian talent Alajbegovic from Leverkusen for a reported €35 million fee. The winger's move follows an impressive loan spell at Salzburg last season, where he registered nine goals and three assists in 28 domestic league outings. Alajbegovic set a record as the youngest multi-goal scorer in the Austrian Bundesliga, while becoming the only player in the competition to register over five goals and complete more than 50 successful dribbles.

Having spent four seasons alongside Dybala in Turin, Pjanic believes Alajbegovic possesses the raw talent to replicate the Argentine forward’s success.

Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport, he stated: "We hope that Kerim can imitate Paulo. It's a similar level of investment; the important thing will be what happens on the pitch."

"Dybala scored and won a lot with Juventus. Alajbegovic is only at the beginning and has to stay humble, but he has the potential to have a top, top career. Let him have fun and grow without too much pressure," he added.

Beyond his club exploits, Alajbegovic starred for Bosnia at the World Cup, scoring once and leading his country's dribbling metrics. However, Pjanic warned that wearing the famous black-and-white stripes brings heavy expectations passed down by the club’s legendary figures.

The 36-year-old asserted: "You feel the responsibility from the champions who previously wore the shirt when you're at Juve. The important thing for now is that Kerim gets to know his team-mates well and learns Italian quickly, but we're quite good with languages," he concluded.

Alajbegovic is now focused on breaking into Luciano Spalletti's starting eleven during pre-season to cement a regular spot. The young winger's first official test could come when Juventus launch their Serie A campaign against Frosinone on August 23.