Serie A club Juventus FC finished fourth in the league for the second season in a row after winning the previous nine league titles. The Bianconeri are therefore in the market to once again reinforce their ranks. The club has had a busy summer managing its books and personnel at the club.
Juventus have bid adieu to some big players while bringing a few new ones who add promise to their title charge next season.
Outgoings & incoming at Juventus
Giorgio Chiellini and Paulo Dybala, two long-term servants for the club left as free agents. The club also latched on to the opportunity to get €67 million (€77 million including add-ons) for Matthijs de Ligt.
Alvaro Morata’s loan deal ending meant he returns to his parent club Atletico Madrid. Federico Bernardeschi joined up with compatriot Lorenzo Insigne at Toronto FC. Merih Demiral is another defender who has since left for Atalanta in a €20 million (plus €2.5 million add-ons) move, after impressing on loan last season.
The exits of Chiellini, De Ligt and Demiral have left Juventus woefully short in their defensive options. Hence, the Old Lady has gone on and signed Brazilian defender Gleison Bremer from cross-town rivals Torino in a deal that could potentially rise to €50 million.
Federico Gatti who returned from his loan at Frosinone last season could be given minutes in the side’s Serie A run. But they still have a lot of work to do to improve their defence.
Attack and midfield are where the club have been the most active. Paul Pogba and Angel di Maria have joined as free agents. The duo owing to their profile have greatly bolstered the club’s quality going forward.
Juventus’ conundrum in attack
The forward line is where the 36-time Italian champions are next looking to bolster. Juventus successfully purchased last season’s striking sensation Dusan Vlahovic for a fee of €80 million (including €10 million add-ons).
But their other options in the attack include Moise Kean and Kaio Jorge, at the moment. Moise Kean is once again seemingly unsettled at the club after arriving on loan from Everton last season.
Talks are ongoing for the club and the player to find a solution and find him a new club before the end of the window. Therefore, Allegri’s camp needs more depth in the attack. Juventus is addressing issues by targeting plenty of options in the market.
Juventus’ striker options
The club are still working on converting Alvaro Morata’s loan stint into a permanent one. The Spaniard returned to his parent club Atletico Madrid after his two-year loan at Juventus ended last season.
But Juventus are negotiating a fee for Morata to bring him to the Allianz Stadium for good next season. The quoted fee of £29.7 million was rejected by Juve, who are looking to get the striker at a lower fee.
But if not Morata, the club have zeroed in on two names from the Premier League if they fail to land Alvaro Morata. These targets include Chelsea’s Timo Werner and Manchester United Anthony Martial as reported by Sky Sports.
Martial has found a new lease of life under Erik ten Hag at Man United. The Frenchman has dazzled during the preseason. Therefore, with the Cristiano Ronaldo situation brewing towards an exit, Martial could once again be valued at Old Trafford and be seen as an important part of the club’s progress in the upcoming season.
Werner, on the other hand, could be a viable option for Juventus. The German forward has struggled for consistency at Chelsea scoring only 23 goals in 89 games for them. The German also only played 1,283 minutes in the league last season, making just 15 starts. His minutes were the second least among forwards for Chelsea (behind Callum Hudson-Odoi) and his 15 starts were fewer than Mateo Kovacic and Trevoh Chalobah.
Chelsea are prepared to let Timo Werner leave on loan and it could also include a buy option. He's in both Juventus and RB Leipzig lists, nothing close to be completed yet. 🇩🇪 #CFC
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 30, 2022
Newcastle have not opened direct talks to sign Timo, as of today.
With the World Cup also approaching, Werner would want more minutes under his belt to be the first-choice striker for Germany in Qatar. He could be the ideal second fiddle for Dusan Vlahovic at Juventus and play better in a league that has always been conducive for players who struggled in the Premier League.
With three years remaining on his deal, Chelsea could still demand a sizeable fee beyond the reach of the Italian giants. Therefore, it promises to be a story that could dominate the second half of the summer transfer window.
Some reports also claim that the Italian club are interested in Liverpool’s Roberto Firmino. Italian newspaper Corriere Dello Sport claims that a deal is now at an advanced stage. But Liverpool have contradicted the same by reportedly rejecting a deal worth €22.5 million from Juventus.
The Brazilian too could be an ideal target for the Bianconeri with Firmino entering the final year of his contract.