Jhon Lucumí signs with Juventus after standout World Cup run

Bologna loses one of its defensive pillars, and Juventus, in one stroke, solves the headache it had been carrying at the heart of its back line. Jhon Lucumí is now a Juventus player after a deal closed at 19.5 million euros (about $22.6 million), a figure that could climb past 22 million euros ($25.5 million) if certain performance-based targets written into the contract are met.

The Colombian defender, 28, signed for four seasons and arrives on the back of a strong World Cup. It seems clear Juventus didn't want to risk losing out to other suitors after what he showed at the tournament: Lucumí started in nearly every one of Colombia's five matches, a team that conceded just one goal across the entire competition, and that came right at the start, in a 3-1 win over Uzbekistan.

Colombia's run ended in the round of 16 against Switzerland, in a penalty shootout that followed a scoreless draw through regulation and extra time. One image summed up how close Colombia came to pulling off the upset: a Lucumí header that crashed off the crossbar during extra time. The center back himself never got to take a penalty, having been substituted before the shootout was decided.

Four years at Bologna and a move that had been building

Lucumí is far from unknown in Italian soccer. He spent four seasons at Bologna, a club with which he even played in the Champions League two seasons ago, one of the most significant recent milestones in the rossoblù's modern history. Before making the move to Italy, he had already crossed over to Europe through Belgium's Genk, the club that developed him as a professional outside Colombia.

For Juventus, the signing comes at a moment of rebuilding. The Turin club is coming off a sixth-place finish in Serie A that left it out of the Champions League, and it's now playing in the Europa League, an unfamiliar spot for a club used to competing at Europe's top table. Strengthening the defense with a center back of World Cup caliber, one already tested in Serie A itself, fits squarely into the plan to make up ground as quickly as possible.

The question that lingers is whether Lucumí can adjust quickly enough to the demands of a club like Juventus, where there's no room for a long settling-in period. His prior familiarity with Serie A and his recent sharpness with the Colombian national team both work in his favor when it comes to hitting the ground running.