Juventus were probably the best club in Serie A in the January transfer window and now it’s down to Massimiliano Allegri to make things work at the Allianz Stadium.
Juventus completed important signings during the January transfer window, welcoming the likes of Dusan Vlahovic and Denis Zakaria.
Vlahovic is Serie A’s Capocannoniere with 17 goals in 21 appearances with Fiorentina, while Zakaria was one of the most-sought midfielders in Europe as his contract with Borussia Monchengladbach was expiring in June.
Juventus invested €80m to sign Vlahovic and €4.5m to get Zakaria.
They also secured the services of Federico Gatti for a reported €9-10m fee, but the defender will remain on loan at Frosinone until the end of the season.
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The Old Lady also sent Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur to Tottenham and loaned Aaron Ramsey, one of Juventus’ highest earners, to Rangers.
The January transfer window in Serie A is usually called ‘mercato di riparazione’, but Juventus did not just ‘repair’ their team, they almost built a new one.
On paper, Vlahovic and Zakaria fit Allegri’s playing style perfectly, but the Old Lady must climb the table to reach the top four.
Vlahovic alone has scored half of their goals this term and the 22-year-old is expected to play a key role in the second part of the campaign.
Juventus sit one point behind Atalanta in the Serie A table. La Dea has a game in hand and won in Turin on November 11.
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The two sides meet again on February 13 at the Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo in a crucial tie in the race for the Champions League.
Now, it’s all down to Massimiliano Allegri. The coach can count on a reinforced squad and has everything he needs to finish in the top four.
However, competition will be fierce and the Bianconeri will need to fix some of the problems they’ve shown this season, especially against the so-called smaller clubs.
Juventus failed to register one single shot on target in the last game against Milan before the break.
They will naturally become more prolific with Vlahovic, but it will be down to Allegri to prepare a tactical plan that allows the highly-rated 22-year-old to score as many goals as possible and help Juventus snatch a vital Champions League placement.
Juventus next summer 2022
Pacy right back, De Ligt, Bonucci, Cuadradro
Pacy winger, Zakaria, Locatelli, Chiesa
Dybala, Vlahovic
Keeping Dybala is imperative
Invest in two fast players and get rid of Rabiot and Bernadeschi and Ramsey.
@Mikkel
Cuadrado isn’t a LB.
Keeping Dybala isn’t imperative. He’s talented, and might do well with Vlahovic, but he’s been bad as much as he’s been good in his time at Juve.