I tried replying to this last night but I was shattered so I'll give it another go now
It does come down to terminology because I really think the point he's trying to make is that the club won't just spend on a big name for the sake of it, like certain clubs in Europe, or like so many football pundits seem to be advising. Marotta did embarrass a lot of people after the mercato last summer by bringing in a lot of quality for good value, and looking back it seems like he found a good balance in the 'quantity vs quality' debate, he earned more trust from me.
Beppe did manage to surprise more than a few, myself very much included, and he's earned much more trust from me - I was actually quite pissed off after last summer (although I wasn't calling for his head - I do believe in continuity - mostly just frustrated by what I considered to be his inability to prioritize. I simply could not fathom how he failed to secure a proper LB two years running - and in theory didn't like him bringing in 11+ players for a second consecutive year. I also had some worries about Conte, largely because of all the 424 talk, and his experience).
Just like any other position, GM's gotta deal with his own growth curve, though - Juventus sure isn't Sampdoria, and he'll be learning a lot as he goes, just like everybody else. My faith in Marrotta on an individual basis isn't profound at this point, but it's significantly bolstered by Conte's presence - who, after this magical season, has my utmost faith.
Perhaps he is looking at the possibility of finding a younger player who isn't that established star signing, such as Vidal last summer, who needs a small amount of refining to become that star player for Juventus? I think we all know he's pretty much the opposite of Secco when it comes to transfer fees and player contracts, and he won't just surrender €120k per week contracts to players that have had a limited career despite being in their prime. At the end of the day we'll find it difficult to define "big player" in Marotta's eyes, so it's hard to say whether he'd consider that to be a player like Džeko, who I still think would be good for the club. There are a few strikers that I rate currently despite not actually being big names in my opinion, Lewandowski, Llorente, Doumbia...
Yeah, it does seem fairly clear that he's been prioritizing youth, and being very careful with the salaries he's doling out - which is such a nice change from Secco, who was putting players like Poulsen on around 3M in wages, etc., etc. Way too many bad contracts to list them all, really. FFP largely dictates all of this, but I agree with it in theory - and because he's being careful now, we should have room to add a couple larger salaries should the opportunities arise. A club's wage structure/hierarchy is very important for sustained success.
For me, Dzeko would be outstanding, but at best it's such a huge pay cut to take, and the club just won the EPL, they're amongst the CL favorites... I guess it comes down to City - probably as much or more than Dzeko - and whether or not they buy again. I think there's a good chance we'll be going for a player who's young and on his way up, although I doubt Dortmund in particular want to do business having already unloaded Kagawa - I think Lewandowski's price tag will be heftier than we might anticipate, similar to the situation in Naples.
I suppose what I'm trying to say is that a big name isn't essential when the club can go for the player they see as the best fit, and by saying "no big name players", Marotta isn't instantly ruling out the possibility of someone with quality for Juventus. That's what I'm taking from his interviews at the moment, Conte will play a big role in the new striker I feel, so we'll see.
I agree man, the big name is not essential. It would be very nice, something to get excited about, but we've only just finished year one of the Conte era, and Il Mister needs to be afforded the opportunity to shape his team in the way he sees fit. I really do like all of the players we've added, so at this point, there's not too much reason to be down on the process.
The process shouldn't be forced based upon a general ideology that dictates we need to spend X amount of money in order to obtain a quality player - a lot of mistakes are made that way, and we're not really in the greatest position to absorb those types of losses right now, should things not go as planned. Gotta find a good balance, the right fit.
I don't think one excludes the other, I perhaps should have made that clearer in my post. Again, I don't think he's saying the club won't go for a quality player.
I got you, buddy. It's about finding the right blend of attributes, especially given our managers preferred style of play.
The fact that there is still a lot of time for moves is reassuring, yes. If I were to say the positions we need to cover, I'd include centre back along with forward and left back though.
Definitely need one more CB for the 3-5-2 setup, that's a good point. Unless we buy another utility defender, who can play both CB and LB, and then cover Paolo by committee.
With Chiello, Giacc, Caceres, and Isla, it wouldn't totally shock me if we covered Paolo by committee, although my preference is far and away to add a dedicated LB/LWB.
I still think van Persie will be approached by the club. Not on a huge salary, an expiring contract is yummy for Marotta's transfer budget and he doesn't seem to want to move elsewhere in England. If there isn't a renewal (which is what Arsenal might be working on currently), I think there will be an effort to sign him at some point. I can still hope anyway
It will seems it will be significantly harder to sign a lot of the other bigger name players such as Cavani, Higuaín, Falcao because of the asking price.
I'm not putting too much stock in the RvP rumors anymore, but you're right, it's a situation that could still develop as the market unfolds - and how sweet that would be, after Arsene's comments. Which my friends have been decent enough not to mention at this point... although I know the losses of Henry, Cesc, Nasri, and in particular, their CL loss to Milan are all still pretty fresh in their minds.
At this point, If a Cavani, Higuain, or Falcao arrives, I'll be running naked through the streets. Just don't see how it could happen at this point, but again, it's early, and there is a lot of business to be done with player sales, etc.