An increasing volume of reports in recent weeks suggest that Napoli sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli is edging closer to joining Juventus in the summer, and La Gazzetta dello Sport have outlined five of his priorities to rebuild the Bianconeri squad if he is to move to Turin in the coming months.
As per the report, Juve are keen to cut costs wherever possible this summer, and will look to move on a number of their current assets in order to be able to ‘self-finance’ their summer spending.
Two names that have been suggested are both currently on loan in the Premier League, namely Weston McKennie at Leeds and Dennis Zakaria at Chelsea. Both have option to buy clauses in their contracts, although the former is more likely to stay with his current club than the latter, according to Gazzetta.
Juve under Giuntoli will also need to make savings on some of the other players currently registered in their squad.
Some will be allowed to leave at the expiry of their contracts in the summer, whilst others, who may be harder to shift, such as the aforementioned Zakaria, might be loaned out in order to cover salary costs, much like what happened with Arthur Melo during the 2022-23 season.
Giuntoli is also reportedly keen on rejuvenating the current Bianconeri squad, with elder statesmen, such as Leonardo Bonucci, Juan Cuadrado, Alex Sandro and Danilo being allowed to depart at the end of their current deals.
In terms of the transfer market, any acquisitions will depend on which European competitions Juventus will compete in next season.
If they are to qualify for the Champions League, then a new defender, a midfielder, winger and attacker are thought to be priorities for the upcoming window. If not, the approach will be more focussed on bringing in young players, who will be allowed to develop over time.
The final priority in Giuntoli’s growing list will be to develop a strong working relationship with the coach and his staff. With a good understanding, there is no reason to believe why Giuntoli and Massimiliano Allegri won’t be able to lead Juve back to success in the near future.