Juventus is well on their way to their fourth straight Serie A title in a row and all is looking good for the Vecchia Signora. They have a 14-point lead over AS Roma for second place and have outscored opponents 54-14 in 27 Serie A games. That’s quite dominant. And beyond that, they’re still in contention for the Champions League and the Italian Cup. While they don’t have to worry about the throne this year, what’s made them so successful is that they constantly have an eye on the future, moving chess pieces and continually having strategy in mind instead of reacting when it’s too late.
Even though the summer isn’t here yet, Juventus’ brass is shifting things around in their minds already. Here’s what they need to accomplish in the next transfer window to continue their Italian dominance:
Keep Paul Pogba…At All Costs
Even at 35, Andrea Pirlo is still Juve’s best player. That’s because he dictates the tempo of the game as well as anyone in Europe and that’s critical to Juve. But Pogba is probably Juve’s most important player as he can snatch a victory from the jaws of a draw with one special piece of skill that comes out at any time. What is scary is that the French wunderkind will soon be 22 and has been largely getting by on feel and athleticism. If he can learn the skill of positioning from someone like Pirlo, the rest of Europe will be in trouble.
Pogba is so good at his age that teams are throwing out numbers like $60 million to buy the midfielder and it still might not be enough. He is also so good that Juventus is seriously considering the exit of Arturo Vidal after battling hard to keep him. Within five years, Pogba could be the best midfielder in Europe, so Juventus has to make sure that he’s on their roster at that time.
A Replacement For Carlos Tevez
Tevez has been fantastic for the Old Lady, scoring 33 goals in 54 goals. He always works hard for the team but he is 31 years old and has always said that he wants to end his career playing in his homeland of Argentina for Boca Juniors, where he started. Looking at Tevez’s history, this could happen at any time. And never mind Argentina, the latest rumors have West Ham making a push (and being very confident) about their ability to sign him this sign him as early as this summer. That means Juve has to start thinking about a striker to ease the transition. Alvaro Morata is coming along at 22-years-old, but Alessandro Matri and Fernando Llorente are both 30. If Tevez were to leave today, that would leave a gaping hole up front for Juventus. They need to look for fresh blood up front.
They’re Getting Old At The Back
The youngest of Juve’s starting back four is Leonardo Bonucci at 27, which leaves 30-year-old Giorgio Chiellini, 31-year-old Stephan Lichtsteiner and 33-year-old Patrice Evra. These four can probably last another season – possibly even a couple more – but it is best if Juve begins the search for the future as soon as they can. They don’t want to be stuck with aging defenders that can’t keep up anymore. And of course, you can’t talk about Juve without mentioning keeper Gianluigi Buffon, who is 37. He still performs like a world-class goalkeeper, so the concerns of his drop-off aren’t warranted just yet. But at best, he’s probably only got two or three years left. The team needs to get younger at the position because of Juve’s three keepers the roster, the youngest is 32-year-old Rubinho. There’s also 38-year-old Marco Storari, who has served as Buffon’s main backup this season.
They do have a number of keepers out on loan, but no one good enough to push Storari. It’s time for Juve to figure something out for their future between the sticks once their captain leaves.
