Despite a season in which they finished fourth in the Serie A table and ended trophy less, take a look at the SBOTOP Serie A 2022 betting odds for next term and you will see Juventus are already favourites to win back Italian football’s top prize.
It should be remembered that Juve were favourites before a ball was kicked last summer too and had a stronger squad then they currently have 12 months on.
So to progress, they will need to make quite a number of improvements of which manager Max Allegri will be acutely aware.
While the transfer market is now open for two months, the “Old Lady” of Turin will be keen to get the majority of their business wrapped up before they entertain Sassuolo in their Serie A opener on August 15.
Even before strengthening, there is the task of replacing key men at both ends of the pitch after the club confirmed the departures of Paulo Dybala, Federico Bernardeschi, Giorgio Chiellini, and Alvaro Morata.
The latter arrived in Turin as a young, talented promise, and now he bids Juve farewell, taking with him a wealth of experience that have made him the champion he is now.
Seven years in black and white made up of 293 appearances, 115 goals, 45 assists, and 12 trophies won. Now his career will continue outside of Turin.
Then there’s Chiellini who is ready to start his new adventure in America, signing an 18-month deal for MLS side Los Angeles FC.
The 37-year-old Italian centre-back couldn’t go on forever but he will be a big miss – in fact, his departure makes it seem odd that the club is reportedly preparing to listen to offers for his potential heir to the throne in Matthijs de Ligt.
That’s because the 22 year-old centre-back, who joined Juventus from Ajax three years ago for £67.8-M, has largely failed to live up to expectations and is claimed to have informed the Italian club of his desire to leave.
The Dutch international is reportedly Chelsea’s primary defencive transfer target and the Premier League side have been given fresh hope of signing him.
Perhaps anticipating it will be hard to keep de Ligt, the club has been linked to a number of central defenders, most notably PSG’s Presnel Kimpembe.
A 2018 France World Cup winner, Kimpembe scored two goals in 41 appearances with the Ligue 1 giants last season and his contract at the Stade des Princes runs out in June 2024.
The club has also been linked with Serie A stars Gleison Bremer (Torino), Nikola Milenkovic (Fiorentina), Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli), and Arsenal’s Gabriel.
According to Tuttosport, the Bianconeri could include Merih Demiral as part of the deal to sign Koulibaly.
Up front, like Dybala, Morata is a big loss as he returns to Atletico Madrid where his contract expires next summer. Juventus had an option to make his move permanent for €35-M but decided against activating it after paying €20-M for his two-year loan.
The rumours keep coming that Juve are open to handing Angel Di Maria a one-year deal. His agents have confirmed that they are discussing the final details before putting pen to paper on the agreement.
You could salivate imagining Serie A 2022 highlights when Federico Chiesa will return from his knee injury in October and could form a front-three with the Italy international, El Fideo and Dusan Vlahovic.
Di Maria will likely provide the assists Vlahovic is desperate for. Juventus only scored 57 goals in Serie A last season, the worst record in the top nine where Verona, Fiorentina, and Atalanta found the net more frequently.
The Argentine can cover multiple roles in attack, be deployed on both flanks or even behind a centre forward and, unlike in England where he failed to settle, is probably well suited to the slightly slower pace of the Italian league.
Likewise, midfielder Paul Pogba’s return to Turin is expected to be confirmed any day now, having already undergone part of his medical with the Serie A giants.
A return to the black and white shirt six years after leaving for Old Trafford, he will provide much-needed experience to their midfield and add physical strength and an eye for goal that Allegri is desperate for.
Pogba has had highs and lows at Old Trafford where he managed to win the Europa League under José Mourinho. He also became World Cup champion with France in 2018.
But overall, he has never entirely fulfilled his potential at Old Trafford, where he was supposed to become the best midfielder in the world.
They may have plenty of work to do but if Juventus can secure all their transfer targets then a title tilt in 2022-23 is a very distinct possibility. They have much to do now though as we enter July.
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