Juventus have made their intentions of winning everything loud and clear with a series of blockbuster signings since the summer of 2018. Despite the Bianconeri’s immense success in the domestic arena, their inability to win the Champions League has haunted them gravely over the last few years.
Although Juventus are still in contention to complete a treble this season, their quest for strengthening the squad next season has already begun.
With the Maurizio Sarri-managed side linked with a plethora of potential summer recruits, a lot of transfer gossips are currently surrounding the most successful club in the history of Italian football.
It is very much evident from their recent transfer activities that Juventus are trying to rejuvenate their ageing squad with several key players lingering on the wrong side of 30. Moreover, the Juventus hierarchy is still in search of new faces who can fit into the “Sarriball” philosophy without wasting no time.
Here, we have tried to list three realistic signings Juventus can make in the upcoming transfer window.
#3 Nélson Semedo
Barcelona right-back Nélson Semedo’s name has popped out of nowhere to be linked with Juventus recently. The Portuguese international joined the Catalan giants in the summer of 2017 in a move worth up to €35 million from Benfica.
Brought in to replace Barcelona legend Dani Alves, it is safe to say that till now, the 26-year-old has failed to fill the void created by the Brazilian’s departure.
Semedo, who is known for his pace, athleticism, ball-control, and dribbling qualities, has experienced a stop-start Barcelona career since his arrival.
Sharing most of his game-time with Sergi Roberto on the right side of Barcelona’s defensive line, Semedo has only managed to score once in 111 appearances for the Spanish champions.
Besides, Semedo’s injury-prone nature hasn’t helped him to cement his place in Barcelona’s starting XI as the right-back has only started in 23 matches across all competitions for the current La Liga leaders this season.
As per recent reports, Juventus and Barcelona are in talks over a possible swap deal involving Nelson Semedo and Mattia De Sciglio. It has been further claimed that both Barcelona and Juventus can make financial gains if the potential swap-deal turns into a reality.
Given the current financial conditions of the clubs due to the COVID-19 crisis, a swap-deal between two clubs seems much more realistic than splashing the cash in the upcoming transfer window.
#2 Arthur Melo
Barcelona star Arthur Melo is another midfielder who seems to be in the long list of players who Maurizio Sarri wants in order to execute his midfield-dominated “Sarriball” philosophy.
Arthur joined Barcelona from Grêmio in the summer of 2018 and has already made 67 appearances across all competitions for the Catalan giants. However, Arthur, still 23, is yet to make his position permanent in a three-man midfield set-up at the Camp Nou, despite receiving several opportunities.
Gifted with the excellent ball control and dribbling abilities, Arthur is a complete package who is capable of playing as a deep-lying playmaker, a central-midfielder, and occasionally, also a holding midfielder.
The Brazilian international is also known for the famous ‘La Pelopina’ feint, which was often performed by his Barcelona predecessors Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta. In brief, Arthur has that so-called “Barca-DNA” ingrained into him, despite not coming through the ranks of La Masia.
According to reports, Sarri has been “impressed” with Arthur’s development at Barcelona and is keen to get the Brazilian on board in a potential swap deal with Miralem Pjanić. It has also been claimed that both Barcelona and Juventus are already in discussion to get the deal over the line, with Pjanić himself agreeing to join the Spanish champions next season.
#1 Sandro Tonali
Brescia starlet Sandro Tonali has been linked with the Italian giants for quite some time now. The 20-year-old midfielder has caught the eye of several European heavyweights with his superb displays in the middle of the park.
Labelled as the next Andrea Pirlo, who also started his career at Brescia, Tonali appears to be a world-beater in the making with his excellent vision, positioning sense, playing style, and movements – both on and off the ball.
In 23 Serie A appearances this season, the deep-lying playmaker has managed to provide five assists for his team-mates, alongside netting a superb long-range free-kick back in October.
As per reports, Juventus are currently in pole position to sign the Brescia prodigy in the upcoming summer transfer window. However, they face tough competition from AC Milan and Inter Milan. It has been also claimed that the Old Lady are willing to offer a five-year contract to Tonali with an annual wage of around €2-3 million.
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