Juventus Transfer Activity Shows Ambition for European Dominance
After securing a record-breaking fifth successive Scudetto, Juventus aren’t simply resting on their laurels in their quest to be the very best. After the Old Lady’s slow start to last season - 15th with five points to her name after the opening six games - she went on to drop points on just four occasions between the beginning of October and the end of the season. The huge upturn in form included an astonishing 15-game winning run, the longest of its kind in Europe’s top five leagues last season.
Meanwhile, captain Gianluigi Buffon went a record-setting 974 minutes without conceding a Serie A goal, that coming to an end when Andrea Belotti netted from the spot in Juventus’ 4-1 trouncing of city rivals Torino back in March. Max Allegri could easily expect the same once more from his players and target domestic dominance, but the 48-year-old is once again unlikely to settle for just the Scudetto and Coppa Italia.
His quest for European success is dented by reports linking star midfielder Paul Pogba with a move to Manchester United and Alvaro Morata’s return to Real Madrid, but after overseeing the departures of Andrea Pirlo, Arturo Vidal and Carlos Tevez - three players who played a key role in Juventus’ progression to the 2015 Champions League final - Allegri has proven able to sufficiently cover the departures of vital personnel. Indeed, Juventus are already setting about covering the exit of Morata and potential departure of Pogba with ruthless efficiency.
Pogba gained a better WhoScored rating (7.81) than any other player in Serie A last season, while no player registered more assists than the France international (12). That figure is level with new signing Miralem Pjanic, who left top-flight rivals Roma for the Juventus Stadium. The Bosnia-Herzegovina international is widely regarded one of the most effective creative talents on the continent and for good measure. He’s one of only two players to reach double figures for both goals and assists in Serie A last season, the other Lorenzo Insigne.
His arrival only heightened speculation that Pogba would be on the way out of Turin this summer. While the pair’s game differ in that Pogba adopts a driving threat from deep compared to Pjanic’s more reserved approach, the inventive qualities of the duo means the latter could viably be seen as a replacement for the former. Indeed, Pjanic placed second for key passes per game (2.4) in Serie A last season, with Pogba’s return (1.5) ranking in the top 25 players.
In terms of dribbles per game, Pogba ranked third (2.9), while Pjanic averaged a meagre 0.8 by comparison. While they adopt a contrasting style to the game, Pjanic could yet be an ideal replacement for Pogba, should he depart Turin this summer. In a three-man midfield with Sami Khedira and Claudio Marchisio making surging runs from deep to support the attack, Pjanic would have ample space with which to maximise his creative talents, particularly given Juventus’ dominance in Italy.
He won’t be the only new face in at the Juventus Stadium this summer either, with Medhi Benatia and Gonzalo Higuain tipped to join Pjanic in Turin. The former failed to settle following his move to Bayern Munich two years ago and the German giants are now willing to cash in on the 29-year-old. Despite his lack of regular game time, Benatia is still highly thought of on the continent, so it's little shock Juventus are keen to add his Serie A and Champions League experience to the squad.
Of players to make 10 or more Champions League appearances in the last two seasons, only one player made an interception more often than Benatia (every 22.8 minutes). Moreover, in his solitary season for Roma, the Moroccan formed part of the defence that conceded just one goal in the opening 10 games of the season, with his WhoScored rating (7.59) enough to earn a spot in the Serie A team of the campaign alongside soon-to-be-new teammate Giorgio Chillieni. With an impressive understanding of the game and a commendable ability to play the ball out from the defence, Benatia makes for the ideal centre-back signing for Juventus.
However, his signing only raises question marks over the future of defensive lynchpin Leonardo Bonucci, who has been linked with a move to Chelsea and Manchester City, while Benatia’s arrival could stunt Daniele Rugani’s development. Furthermore, he at times struggled to adhere to the three-man defensive demands Pep Guardiola implemented during their respective spells at Bayern Munich, which could hinder his immediate impact in Turin, but all in all, for a team that requires significant strength in depth in order to progress far in all competitions, Juventus could have done a lot worse than Benatia.
The big money arrival, though, would come in the form of Higuain, who reportedly turned down an £800,000-a-week contract to move to Chinese side Hebei China Fortune to remain in Europe. Juventus are prepared to bring the Argentine to Turin and for good reason. He scored more goals (36) than any other player in Serie A last term, with Juventus striker and compatriot Paulo Dybala (19) ranking second. Following the departure of Morata, another striker was somewhat crucial, despite Allegri being able to call on Dybala, Mario Mandzukic and Simone Zaza.
The latter pair, though, lack the required consistency to help Juventus push forward and could be on the move before long. Mandzukic and Zaza may offer a physical threat in attack, but Higuain’s goalscoring record sets the Argentine a level above the duo. Partnered alongside Dybala, Juventus would boast one of the most potent attacks on the continent in Allegri’s favoured 3-5-2 formation. His acquisition, coupled with the arrivals of Pjanic and Benatia, would send a real statement of intent to rivals across Europe, signalling that not only are Juventus determined to dominate domestically, but continentally as well.
Pjanic (7.46) and Higuain (7.74) were also rated second and first for Roma and Napoli respectively in Serie A last season, so not only have Juventus strengthened significantly, but they’ve weakened their fiercest rivals for the Scudetto in the process. While on paper, the Old Lady is monopolising Italy’s top tier, it’s a huge declaration that the Serie A champions are going all out to secure their third major European honour.
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