Juventus suffered their first trophy-less season in a decade last campaign, a painful reminder of their recent decline, and Apollo Heyes feels the addition of household names like Angel Di Maria and Paul Pogba won’t be enough to take the Bianconeri back to the top.
Massimiliano Allegri would be the first to admit that things did not go well last year for Juventus, with the team looking lethargic and unimaginative for large parts of the season, despite the arrival of €80m man Dusan Vlahovic in January. Despite their difficulties, the Turin side did enough to secure Champions League qualification, and now they’re hoping to build off this momentum.
Entering the summer transfer window, Juventus were forced to say goodbye to Alvaro Morata, who returned to Atletico Madrid after the conclusion of his two-year loan spell. Allegri is keen to bring the Spaniard back, but this doesn’t look too likely at this stage.
The Old Lady sold defender Matthijs de Ligt to Bayern Munich in a deal worth €77m total, and finalised the departure of Merih Demiral to Atalanta for €20m. A number of players left on free transfers, like Paulo Dybala, Douglas Costa, Giorgio Chiellini and Federico Bernardeschi.
To strengthen Allegri’s squad, Juventus picked up known stars Di Maria and Pogba on free transfers and paid Torino €40m for Gleison Bremer. They’re now working to add a few more reinforcements before the end of the transfer window, like a new midfielder and forward.
Key man: Dusan Vlahovic
It’s been over six months since Vlahovic joined Juventus in a deal worth €80m from Fiorentina, and it’s fair to say that he hasn’t exactly lit the world alight in Turin yet. The Bianconeri need a talismanic figure to drive them through the post-Cristiano Ronaldo lull, and now’s the time for the Serbian striker to rise to that task.
Coach: Massimiliano Allegri
A proven winner, things have been a little more difficult for Allegri in his second stint in Turin. His first spell saw him win 11 trophies for the Old Lady, but his work last season was underwhelming and left the fans looking for more. A pragmatic coach, Allegri is adaptable and will look to get the best out of his new arrivals, so Juventus will certainly look more lively this season.
Watch out for: The Vlahovic-Chiesa pairing
Federico Chiesa knows Vlahovic well from their time together in Florence, but the pair haven’t had a chance to play together in black and white yet. The Italian winger is still sidelined following a cruciate ligament rupture, but he’s set to return after the World Cup in Qatar. Allegri will be hoping the pair work in tandem to make Juventus a lethal force in the final third.
Get the full 2022-23 Serie A season preview here.