What’s Going At Juventus In The Transfer Window?

If you’re one of those who constantly need updates on the latest transfer gossip, especially as pertains to finding-cash-hard-to-come-by realm of Serie A, you’d notice that speculation surrounding Juventus has been rather low-key.

Much of the talk – at least this far into silly season – has centred around Milan, Inter and Napoli. Milan have been the main focus in these early weeks, with the departure of Sandro Tonali to Newcastle, signing Ruben Loftus-Cheek, and moves for Christian Pulisic, Samuel Chukwueze, Alvaro Morata and Yunus Musah all at various stages depending on which source you read.

Inter, meanwhile, forced midfield fulcrum Marcelo Brozovic out of the club and in the direction of the Middle East for around €18m ($20m). Andre Onana could be next, granted Manchester United meet Inter’s demands of around €50m ($54m) plus in the coming weeks. Inter seem hellbent on bringing Romelu Lukaku back to San Siro on a permanent basis and are closing in on signing Davide Frattesi from Sassuolo to replace the departed Brozovic.

Napoli, reigning champions, have lost their Scudetto-winning coach, their jewel-finding sporting director and best defender in the last six weeks. Moreover, Aurelio De Laurentiis has been meeting with Victor Osimhen’s agent in order to tie his star player down to the summer of 2027.

So what about Juve?

The slumbering beast of the Italian game has been in the background, trying to reorganise its house in the wake of an horrendous 2022-23 season. Mass resignations at board level – in addition to two different point deductions – meant it wasn’t a season to live long in the memory. Cristiano Giuntoli has been poached from Napoli and handed the role of steadying the black-and-white behemoth. Giuntoli’s first mission is to no doubt keep Federico Chiesa and Dusan Vlahovic onside and at the club next season.

Both players were reportedly unhappy with Max Allegri last season and his brand of football. It was even said that both would leave Turin this summer should Allegri remain on the bench. Both are still Juve players and Giuntoli will no doubt attempt to smooth over the tension between the three men and get all boats rowing in the same direction. Allegri hasn’t utilised neither man particularly well over the past 18 months; Vlahovic spent most games looking brutally isolated in Allegri’s pragmatic 3-5-1-1 system, while Chiesa was inexplicably used as a right wing-back against Napoli at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in January, with the end result a 5-1 demolition.

Juan Cuadrado and Angel Di Maria have been allowed to leave the club as free agents, while Alex Sandro and Leonardo Bonucci – two of the few remaining holdouts from the first Allegri era – could be allowed to leave should suitable offers arrive. Dejan Kulusevski’s move to Tottenham was made permanent, while the likes of Denis Zakaria, Arthur Melo and Weston McKennie are all surplus to requirements.

Timothy Weah – son of the legendary Milan striker George – has signed for €10m ($10m) from Lille, and Arkadiusz Milik’s loan move from Marseille has been made permanent for €6m ($6m).

But where else can Juve make improvements? If Allegri plans to continue with his hybrid 3-5-2/3-5-1-1 system, signing a new left wing-back is a necessity, whether Alex Sandro stays or not. Many have felt for years the Brazilian’s best days are behind him. Defensively suspect and offering little going forward, how Sandro has stayed for eight years has been a mystery to many.

Another midfielder is arguably needed, and it’s no surprise that Juve seem intent on finally taking Sergej Milinkovic-Savic away from Lazio this summer. The feeling is that should Juve offload Zakaria, McKennie and Arthur on a permanent basis, the money gained will be suffice to make a bid for the tall-but-elegant Serb. Questions around Paul Pogba’s fitness will continue into next season, and should he be unavailable for large portions of the season, having an experienced midfielder like Milinkovic-Savic alongside Adrien Rabiot will ensure Juve aren’t lightweight in the middle of the park.

In attack, a case could be made for a Di Maria replacement, but Allegri gently promoted Samuel Iling-Junior into the first team last season, handing him starts on a couple of occasions. With finances restricted this summer in light of no Champions League football, Allegri should put his full trust in the young Englishman and should he switch to a 4-3-3 system. Iling-Jnr playing alongside Chiesa and Vlahovic is a credible option.

The rest of Juve’s summer will depend on who leaves the club, a Chiesa or Vlahovic departure cannot be ruled out at this stage. Yet with Napoli, Milan and Inter taking most of the transfer rumour spotlight, Juve are working quietly, and one suspects that’s the way Giuntoli wants it.