It is no secret that attacking reinforcements top Juventus’ wish list for the summer transfer window.
With Dusan Vlahovic set to be sold and Randal Kolo Muani’s loan spell expiring after the Club World Cup, the club’s new management are right to be targeting forwards to fire them back into Serie A title contention.
An Italian core is reportedly central to the project being spearheaded by new general manager, Damien Comolli, and director of football strategy, Giorgio Chiellini, so the philosophy brings January target Giacomo Raspadori back into play.
Despite managing just 11 Serie A starts for Antonio Conte’s all-conquering Napoli team last term, the versatile forward still managed to score six times and he would bring creativity to a Juve side that failed to score more than once in half of their league games.
Atalanta target man Mateo Retegui, last season’s Serie A top scorer with 25 goals, is another that suits the new approach, but the Bergamo-based outfit are likely to demand a huge fee.
Lille forward Jonathan David is attractive thanks to his status as a free agent, but his likely wage demands, signing-on fee and agent bonuses makes him far from a risk-free signing.
The in-demand Viktor Gyokeres also fits the bill as a direct replacement for Vlahovic, but his transfer fee might be too high, so Sporting Lisbon team-mate Conrad Harder appeals as a potentially cheaper alternative that could be moulded to lead the line for a number of years.
Arguably, the most crucial element of Juve’s transfer planning was confirming who would be in the dugout for next season.
Uncertainty over interim boss Igor Tudor’s future has rightly been put to bed after managerial targets fell by the wayside and the Croatian’s long-term appointment makes it clear which area desperately needs strengthening if Juve are to challenge for the Serie A title next term.
Quite frankly, options must be sought for the wing-back positions to suit Tudor’s preferred three-at-the-back formation.
Competition for Andrea Cambiaso and Timothy Weah will be key and Lazio’s Nuno Tavares has been mentioned as a potential target. He could be just the ticket after eight assists in 23 Serie A appearances last term.
The majority of the team’s spine, otherwise, looks solid, although flop midfielder Douglas Luiz could be offloaded to bring in funds for the summer revamp.
Loanee Francisco Conceicao’s future also needs to be resolved after a mixed campaign in Turin. The 22-year-old has stacks of potential, but there are question marks over how well he suits Tudor’s system, having been restricted to two starts in the final two months of the campaign.
If he returns to Porto then Juve chiefs would be wise to look for a new attacking midfielder to help solve the scoring problems that hindered their Serie A campaign last term.
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