The Bianconeri seem to have all the tools to reclaim the Scudetto and do well in Europe, and Vilizar Yakimov argues there will be no room for excuses in case of failure this term.
Despite winning two trophies and clinching a top four finish in the final round last season, the Andrea Pirlo experiment can hardly be considered a success. Juventus suffered an early Champions League elimination at the hands of Porto, lost the Scudetto for the first time in a decade and to make matters even worse it was Antonio Conte’s Inter who dethroned them.
While it would be harsh to put all the blame on Pirlo, who still managed to win two cups and pave the way for many young players in the first team, it was obvious that a change was needed. Max Allegri was brought back in what appeared to be a dramatic change of plans after Andrea Angelli decided to part ways with him in 2019 in his attempt to develop a more attractive style of play.
Both Maurizio Sarri and Pirlo failed in their attempts to do that on a consistent basis and with the return of Allegri, Juventus are finally returning to their roots. The Tuscan tactician was the first one who raised his voice about the need to change two years ago and although the club didn’t listen to him then, they are ready to back him up now.
With limited funds and a number of changes at the club this summer, Allegri arrives in a tricky situation. However, despite all difficulties, it seems that the coach has the tools to succeed as Juventus still boast one of the best squads in Europe. It’s just a matter of getting the best out of it.
Cristiano Ronaldo is the subject of significant transfer speculation but could still remain, while Paulo Dybala is finally starting to overcome his injury crisis from last year. The Argentinian is expected to sign a new contract any moment and having him fit and motivated might be the key for Juventus.
A front line of Dybala, Ronaldo, Federico Chiesa, Dejan Kulusevski and Alvaro Morata should be able to scare any defence, while new signing Kaio Jorge is a low-risk gamble that could surprise everyone. Federico Bernardeschi is another question mark and it is about time for him to start showing his talent on a consistent basis. Hopefully that Euro 2020 gold medal can be a difference maker for him mentality-wise.
However, the attack is not the area that Allegri should be worried about, as it’s been obvious for years that Juve’s weakest link is the midfield. Right now the Bianconeri are pretty stacked in that area, but unfortunately quality is not equal to quantity in their case.
Aaron Ramsey, Rodrigo Bentancur and Adrien Rabiot have been consistently inconsistent in the last two years, while injuries have prevented Arthur from making any real impact since joining from Barcelona. Weston McKennie has shown glimpses of what could be a fantastic box-to-box midfielder and it’s clear that Allegri will be counting on him, as the tactician said he expects 10 goals from the American this term.
Few things are certain in football, but one of them is that Bentancur cannot be a world-class regista and unlike his predecessors, Allegri seems to know that. A few eyebrows were raised when Aaron Ramsey was tested there against Barcelona and although the Welshman didn’t do so badly, Juventus lost by 3-0 and it’s highly unlikely this would work well long-term.
It’s no surprise to see Juventus trying to bring in Miralem Pjanic back only a year after the Bosnian joined Barcelona as part of the Arthur swap deal. The Manuel Locatelli saga has also been dragging on all summer and while Juve are expected to close the deal for the Sassuolo man in the coming days, some sales have to be made as well.
Fabio Paratici was replaced by Federico Cherubini and one of the hardest tasks for the new sporting director would be to free up some spaces in the squad. Merih Demiral was already sent on loan with an option to buy to Atalanta as Allegri made the unpopular choice to keep Daniele Rugani as Juve’s fourth-choice centre-back.
However, if Juventus are planning to bring in both Pjanic and Locatelli some sales in midfield need to happen and Ramsey tops the list. But his hefty salary and history with injuries makes this an uphill task. Boca Juniors have a clause that gives them 40% of any future sale of Bentancur, so the Uruguayan is clearly off the list, while, despite being frustrating at times, Rabiot remains a figure that will be counted on.
At left-back a healthy Alex Sandro remains a quality choice, while Mattia De Sciglio or Luca Pellegrini can deputise if needed. Italy’s Euro 2020 talisman Giorgio Chiellini signed a new contract until 2023, but it would be naive to expect him to play in all games, so Leonardo Bonucci and Matthijs de Ligt would need to step up a gear compared to last term. Danilo has become a key squad member on the right, while Juan Cuadrado has been doing an admirable job even during the struggles last year.
Putting aside Locatelli and maybe Pjanic, Juventus are not expected to make any more signings this summer. However, despite their limited transfer activity the Bianconeri would once again have arguably the best squad in Serie A, especially after Romelu Lukaku’s move to Chelsea.
Allegri knows most of the players well and unlike the end of his previous reign, has a number of very talented young players at his disposal. Transfer-bound figures like Alex Sandro and Dybala seem to have settled down and Ronaldo is set to stay for at least another year.
Considering the talent and experience at their disposal, Juventus seem to be in pole position to reclaim the Scudetto, especially after Inter lost Conte, Hakimi and Lukaku. Champions League triumph might be out of reach once again, but the Bianconeri must do better than recent years and anything can happen once you reach the latter stages.
What’s best for Allegri at this point is that nobody would expect him to play beautiful attacking football all the time. He will be expected to win and winning is what he does best. The tricky part is that there would be no room for excuses in case he fails.
Football Italia’s full 2021-22 season preview will be published after the close of the transfer window.