Despite the ongoing Cristiano Ronaldo transfer saga, it has been a relatively quiet summer at Juventus. Gone are the days when Fabio Paratici would boast of his latest ground-breaking signing, as the Old Lady has been deeply affected on the financial level by the Covid-19 pandemic. Therefore, the Bianconeri were forced to conduct a much more modest transfer session, with the number of new arrivals significantly diminished. Nonetheless, the return of Massimiliano Allegri could be the biggest game-changer in Serie A next season, as the six-time Scudetto winner is hoping to kickstart another winning dynasty in Juventus after losing the throne to Inter last season.
So how can we expect the tactician to line-up his team next season?
Goalkeeper
Following the second farewell of Gianluigi Buffon, Mattia Perin returns from his loan spell at Genoa to replace the legendary shot-stopper. The Italian was hoping to secure an exit from Turin that would guarantee him playing time elsewhere, but a transfer failed to materialize.
Therefore, the returning goalkeeper will be facing an uphill battle to usurp Wojciech Szczesny, who has been the Old Lady’s number one between the posts in the last three seasons.
The Pole is expected to maintain his position barring any unforeseen circumstances.
Wojciech Szczęsny will remain Juventus' number one goalkeeper next season. He talked about it yesterday with the managers of the club. Donnarumma will not join Juventus. [@mati_swiecicki] #juvelive pic.twitter.com/0XIvvNt1vJ
— Forza Juventus (@ForzaJuveEN) June 7, 2021
Defense
During his first spell, Max switched between various formations, but this time around he seems adamant on confirming his favorite 4-3-3 lineup.
Therefore, Giorgio Chiellini, Leonardo Bonucci and Matthijs de Ligt will be competing for two playing spots. Whilst we expect some rotation in this department, the captain could be rested in favor of the other two on several occasions in order to maintain his fitness levels at the age of 37. However, the manager will surely rely on his vast experience on some of the big occasions.
Despite the presence of Mattia De Sciglio and Luca Pellegrini (at least until now), Alex Sandro should be the obvious choice at left-back, especially with Allegri being a fan of the longtime serving Juventus man.
On the other hand, the manager will be facing a headache when deciding between Juan Cuadrado And Danilo. Both players performed admirably last season, and in various roles, but perhaps the Brazilian would be deemed more fitting for the fullback role, as Max would be in favor of maintaining a balanced lineup.
Players most used under Allegri:
187- Bonucci
184- Chiellini
182- Dybala
168- Buffon
162- Mandzukic
157- Alex Sandro pic.twitter.com/JloP0mFjGm— Khaled Al Nouss (@khaledalnouss1) August 11, 2021
Midfield
Here We Go! Manuel Locatelli will be a Juventus player in the coming days. Although the Euro 2020 winner might prefer to play as a box-to-box midfielder, he will be the best available option for the Regista role. Out of all people, Aaron Ramsey has been tested in the deep role during pre-season.
Allegri will have a healthy competition for spots when it comes to the two Mezzala roles, but Rodrigo Bentancur might have the advantage due to being one of the manager’s pupils during his first stint at Juventus.
If the Uruguayan takes his spot on the right, this leaves Weston McKennie and Adrien Rabiot fighting for the left spot, not to mention the surprising emergence of Federico Bernardeschi who did well whilst playing in midfield this summer. Nonetheless, Rabiot’s experience in this role could hand him the slight advantage.
? Ready to get underway! ?@locamanuel73 pic.twitter.com/q4BM5XTVhB
— JuventusFC (@juventusfcen) August 18, 2021
Attack
Kaio Jorge is expected to be the only new addition for the attacking department, but the Brazilian will find it hard to integrate into the lineup in the presence of world class talents such as Paulo Dybala, Federico Chiesa and of course Cristiano Ronaldo.
Despite all the transfer rumors, the Portuguese is still in Turin, and he should maintain his role on the left of the attacking trident. Chiesa will start from the right, with Dejan Kulusevski being the obvious alternative.
Although he’s far from being a true center forward, Dybala could act as false 9, and switch roles with Ronaldo and Chiesa along the way. For his part, Alvaro Morata’s services will be called upon whenever the team needs a more direct type of strikers on the pitch.
Ronaldo to Begrudgingly Stay at Juventus, Talks with Man City Fruitless https://t.co/jhdqRidiUI pic.twitter.com/0MRcKVog2m
— The Cult of Calcio (@cultofcalcio) August 18, 2021
Juventus Probable Formation
Juventus (4-3-3): Szczesny; Danilo, Bonucci, de Ligt, Alex Sandro; Bentancur, Locatelli, Rabiot; Chiesa, Dybala, Ronaldo
