This could be a much more formidable Juventus side than last season, particularly if they start the new campaign in the sort of form that they ended the last one with.
They have strengthened in some key areas and it seems that they are not finished in the market just yet either. There should be more goals; there should be some football that doesn’t feel like a total waste of your Sunday evening.
Juventus signings
Paul Pogba: Immediate caveat; the Frenchman has picked up a serious knee injury and seems set to miss at least the first two months of the season, possibly more. His place at the Qatar 2022 World Cup is now under threat. If we set that aside and look at it from a football perspective, signing Pogba on a free transfer having sold him for £86 million six years earlier to the same team (Manchester United) is a good bit of business.
He undoubtedly raises the technical level of the midfield and whilst Juve have not been totally stable and calm over the past two seasons, he should be able to find a more settled environment than the one at United. That is what the 29-year-old needs and once he’s fit, he should be a huge factor in the Serie A title race.
Angel Di Maria: Juventus‘ second former Man United player signed on a free transfer this summer is Di Maria. The Argentine joins from Paris Saint-Germain and he is another who will improve the technical level. He may be 34 years old but he really doesn’t play like it. He can score goals and he can create them for the likes of Dusan Vlahovic. He’ll be on a big wage but it’s only a one-year deal so the element of risk is low.
Gleison Bremer: This could be the deal that the Bianconeri fans took the most excitement from given he seemed totally destined to join Inter. The Nerazzurri couldn’t get the deal over the line and Juve swooped in and wrapped it up in a matter of days. He’s costing an initial €41m so there is a weight of expectation. There have been a couple of shaky pre-season performances but he was voted as the best defender in Serie A last season and he could be a success on the other side of Turin.
Andrea Cambiaso: This is a deal for the future but it could be a very good one. Cambiaso was impressive at left-back for Genoa last season and plenty of teams were after him. Juve got the deal done and have then sent him on loan to Bologna so he will continue to get Serie A experience ready to return to the club.
Filip Kostic: Serbian wingback Kostic made the move to Juve on Thursday and underwent his medical. The former Eintracht Frankfurt man is an excellent crosser of the ball and could serve Vlahovic extremely well.
Juventus summer sales
There has not been much in the way of sales from Juventus this summer but they have lost a few first-team players whose contracts have expired.
Matthijs de Ligt: This was quite a bold call from the Bianconeri management. De Ligt was seen as the future of defending when he joined from Ajax and he has been largely successful at Juventus in a system that didn’t really suit him. They’ve opted to change tack though by letting him join Bayern Munich for €70m with €10m in add-ons. They then immediately signed Bremer as the direct replacement. Only time will tell if they have made the right call.
Paulo Dybala: It became clear in the second half of the season that Dybala would not be getting a new deal at Juve on the terms he wanted and much like De Ligt, time will tell if they’ve made the right call. With the players that have come in, they may be able to move on without much of an issue but they’ll be nervous when they face AS Roma.
Giorgio Chiellini: Seeing Juventus line up without Chiellini will be very odd for all Serie A fans but the Bianconeri must do without his leadership next season. That means the responsibility on Leonardo Bonucci’s shoulders gets a bit bigger.
Federico Bernardeschi: Many Juventus fans may be happy to see Bernardeschi go but he did provide useful cover in a few positions for Allegri last season and that sort of player is not easy to replace. He has gone to Toronto on a free transfer.
Alvaro Morata: The Spaniard returned to Atletico Madrid for the umpteenth time and whilst many assumed he will return Juventus have not got a deal over the line and the pursuit of Depay could mean his time at Juve is over, for now.
Every Juventus summer 2022 transfer
Ins: Paul Pogba, Angel Di Maria, Gleison Bremer, Andrea Cambiaso, Federico Chiesa.
Outs: Matthijs de Ligt, Merih Demiral, Rolando Mandragora, Matteo Brunori, Grigios Kastanos, Franco Israel, Pietro Beruatto, Wesley Gasolina, Aaron Ramsey, Filippo Ranocchia, Paulo Dybala, Federico Bernardeschi, Radu Dragusin, Stefano Gori, Koni De Winter, Alvaro Morata, Gianluca Frabotta, Giorgio Chiellini.
