After two disappointing seasons, saying that Juventus must bolster their squad would be the understatement of the year. To add insult to injury, the Bianconeri have now lost the services of their loyal captain Giorgio Chiellini as well as their talismatic number 10 Paulo Dybala. Luckily for Massimiliano Allegri, his successful previous stint had spared him the axe, thus, the tactician will be hoping to deliver a significantly improved campaign with the addition of some exciting new players. So let’s take a look at five positions that Juventus must address during the current summer transfer market, while also naming the potential candidates.
Center-Back
As mentioned above, the departure of the legendary Chiellini has left a massive hole at the back. Now surely Matthijs de Ligt is the ideal profile to take the torch, but the Dutchman’s future remains in limbo, while Leonardo Bonucci is already feeling the toll of hundreds of combats endured throughout the course of his career.
Even though the addition of Federico Gatti is a pleasant one, the former Frosinone man still needs to learn the ropes in his first Serie A campaign. Hence a more experienced profile is required.
While a host of candidates have been linked with a switch to Turin, Kalidou Koulibaly remains the dream for Juventus supporters. Nonetheless, we all know that Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis would prefer to send his Senegalese defender anywhere else rather than selling him to his northern rivals.
Thus, sporting director Federico Cherubini may have to revert for an alternative option. The list includes Monaco’s Benoit Badiashile, Fiorentina’s Nikola Milenkovic and even Arsenal’s Gabriel.
Left-Back
Despite being on the decline in the past few years, the Bianconeri are probably stuck with Alex Sandro until his contract expires in 2023, as the Brazilian is unlikely to attract suitors who are willing to match his hefty wages.
However, this doesn’t mean that the Old Lady will sit idle for now. In fact, Juventus are in the market looking for a new left-back, while Luca Pellegrini could be the sacrificial lamb who makes way for a newcomer.
In the last few transfer sessions, Emerson Palmieri has been repeatedly linked with a switch to Turin. The Euro 2020 winner spent the last campaign on loan at Lyon, while Chelsea are unlikely to maintain his services. So will La Madama finally pull the trigger?
While the 27-year-old is a profile that Allegri appreciates, the management is also keeping track of other candidates for the role. The most recurring names at the moment are AZ Alkmaar’s Owen Wijndal, Udinese’s Destiny Udogie and Genoa’s Andrea Cambiaso.
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Central Midfielder
As we all know by now, the midfield department has become the club’s Achilles Heel in the past years. Gone are the days when the club boasted the likes of Claudio Marchisio, Andrea Pirlo, Arturo Vidal and Paul Pogba in the middle of the park.
However, the latter is likely to return as a free agent once again and become the bona fide leader of the department. In fact, the deal is expected to be announced in the coming days.
But the question remains whether the Frenchman’s comeback would be enough to galvanize the whole midfield, or if another addition would be needed – perhaps a natural Regista who can take the burden off the shoulders of Manuel Locatelli, like Jorginho or Leandro Paredes.
But maybe the Old Lady will take an alternative course and focus the youngsters from within, the likes of Fabio Miretti, Nicolò Rovella and Nicolò Fagioli.
Wingers
After spending the previous campaign tinkering with his tactical lineups, reports believe that Allegri is now adamant on deploying a 4-3-3 formation which can maximize the potential of Dusan Vlahovic.
Therefore, Juventus need at least one new winger, especially with Federico Chiesa yet to fully recover from his ACL injury while his namesake Bernardeschi has ended his adventure in Turin following the expiry of his contract.
Although the likes of Domenico Berardi and especially Nicolò Zaniolo are repeatedly linked with a switch to the Allianz Stadium, it appears that Allegri’s favorite target for the right flank remains Angel Di Maria, and the Bianconeri are now desperate to put the veteran’s signature on paper.
As for the left wing, Filip Kostic currently tops Cherubini’s shortlist after his exploits with Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League. Thanks to his expiring contract in 2023, the Serbian could be available on a relatively low cost.
However, Juventus might ditch the idea and maintain the status-quo from last season, by resigning Alvaro Morata from Atletico Madrid and fielding him as an outside striker – a role which he relished during the second half of the campaign.
Lastly, the versatile Giacomo Raspadori could be an option for the left flank, but he appears to be on the outside looking in… at least for now.
Forward
Last January, Juventus decided to build their project around the broad shoulders of Dusan Vlahovic. So why are they still in the market looking for another forward?
Well, the Serbian can’t do it all on his own, and he’ll a need a capable understudy who can give him a breather or start in his stead when he’s unavailable, but Moise Kean’s under-par campaign could prompt Juventus to make a change in personnel.
Therefore, the Old Lady is keeping tabs on several interesting options, including the likes of Edin Dzeko (who could leave Inter following the potential return of Romelu Lukaku), Giovanni Simeone and Arkadiusz Milik.
Nonetheless, some believe that Marko Arnautovic would be the perfect candidate for the role. The 33-year-old enjoyed a solid season at Bologna and still has two years on his contract, but Juventus could swoop for his services with a decent proposal.