All The Thorny Cases Holding Up Juventus on The Market | OneFootball

Perhaps there are no juicy backstories or grand strategic shifts behind the somewhat sudden and surprising firing of Cristiano Giuntoli by the Juventus ownership back in May. The timing was off, as it should have been done way sooner to help his replacement. Plus, there weren’t many murmurs to set the stage, which is usually the case when something of this magnitude is about to happen.

On the other hand, the strictly technical and economic evaluations suffice to justify the call. Almost none of last year’s big moves have panned out. Instead, most have become significant hindrances. At least for now, the new Bianconeri brass is acting less brutally, subtly pushing players out without threatening extreme consequences, which would be financially detrimental. It suggests that the outcasts who stay against the front office’s wishes will still be part of the squad in some way, shape, or form.

A Different Approach by the Juventus Officials

That’s understandable when it comes to the bottom line, which might be what the ultimate higher-ups care about. But it’s a big problem on the transfer market, where timing is crucial. The wait to open up roster spots could cost them players, if it hasn’t already. Additionally, sales are particularly challenging when other teams are well aware of your troubles and necessities. It’s not a coincidence that they have been able to cash in only on two promising youngsters so far, Alberto Costa and Samuel Mbangula, whom they probably should have held onto or loaned out to see what they could do with more regular playing time.

Their previous management was overly reliant on loans with obligations to buy. Therefore, they have already committed over €100M this summer despite doing very little, La Gazzetta dello Sport informs. Their need for cash is manifest.

The Dusan Vlahovic saga has been debated at length at this point. Sorting it out in an acceptable manner would be a masterstroke. The most likely outcome is a Bosman departure after another blah campaign as Jonathan David’s second fiddle. The question is whether Juventus will have the stomach to bring in another striker before solving the issue. It goes for every misfit and role. Conversely, they can’t just give them away and create sinkholes on their balance sheets. It’s a high-wire act where Damien Comolli and François Modesto will have a chance to prove their worth right away.

Timothy Weah

He was actually one of the few players who thrived under Thiago Motta after being unconvincing with Massimiliano Allegri at the end, completing his transition to fullback and being a real weapon in some stretches. Then, for some reason, Igor Tudor tossed him to the side, even though he should work well as a wing-back. He turned down Nottingham Forest earlier on. He wants to go to Olympique Marseille, but their offer hasn’t met the request, Tuttomercatoweb reports. If they aim for an upgrade, João Mario should be a deputy, and among the attainable targets, they need to acquire someone like Nahuel Molina, Dodo, or Nuno Tavares, with Andrea Cambiaso moving to the right flank in the latter case.

Nicolas Gonzalez

They overpaid for him last year, as his run at Fiorentina was strong but not really superb. They have to recoup most of the investment now, or they’ll be stuck with another overly expensive reserve. The most concrete rumors are about the Saudi Pro League (via Mediaset). We’ll see whether he’ll be willing to head there and how long it’ll take. His exit is apparently delaying the arrival of Jadon Sancho. Unless there’s something else behind their hesitation, for instance, evaluations about the Englishman’s character, they should pull the trigger considering the reportedly low numbers. They aren’t too deep up front and will need four pacey players anyway.

Douglas Luiz

As if Juventus didn’t have enough reasons to move on, he didn’t bother showing up at the start of the pre-season preparation without providing a motivation, TuttoSport informs. Swaps are a double-edged sword because price tags often get juiced up, but if the newcomer struggles, it’s mighty hard to offload him without taking a bath. Unless they concoct another trade or if he still has deep-pocketed fans in the Premier League, they’ll have to settle for a loan, so his financial cost naturally decreases, containing the damage in the future. The odds of him bouncing back after a change of scenery are robust. He really can’t fare any worse than he’s done in Turin.

Teun Koopmeiners

A sale is out of the question in this case, if anything, because it’d be impossible to find a willing partner who’d pay as much as needed. It doesn’t mean that he’s not a problem, as he must be a difference-maker, considering the large investment to purchase him. The conundrum is mostly tactical. While he excelled as a no.10 in Gian Piero Gasperini’s formation, he lacks the athleticism to do so in Igor Tudor’s system, which works better with two speedsters behind the striker. He’s not too far removed from starring as a deep-lying midfielder, and they should test it in the friendlies. While he has never looked explosive or even right physically since joining, his passing, shooting prowess, and vision should still be there. If it works, it’d give Manuel Locatelli some real competition and spare them an addition in this role. The question is whether they’ll have enough balance, though.

Lloyd Kelly

His departure is unlikely as well, as Juventus, while desperate and scrambling for a defender in January, spent too much for a replacement-level player. The Bianconeri have had very little urgency about bolstering their defense so far. They probably hope the returns from injury of Gleison Bremer and Juan Cabal would be enough to fix it. It’s optimistic, if not even a stretch, but their rearguard is also reasonably crowded if everybody stays healthy.