Calcio Debate: Who Do Juventus Need To Buy?
With the January transfer window now re-opened, Carlo Garganese investigates what players the Bianconeri need to buy to boost their chances winning the Scudetto this season or next…
Following their post-Calciopoli promotion from Serie B, many people expected Juventus to struggle this season, however they have exceeded all expectations and currently sit in a superb third position in the league.
A Champions League place come the end of the campaign seems a certainty, while I would even bet on a second-placed finish given the one point gap between Juve and Roma. However as I outlined in my mid-season review on the Bianconeri a couple of days ago their Scudetto chances are rather slim.
Who do the Old Lady need to buy if they are to challenge Inter?
Juve First Team Squad:
Goalkeepers:
Gianluigi Buffon, Emanuele Belardi
Defenders:
Jorge Andrade, Alessandro Birindelli, Jean-Alain Boumsong, Giorgio Chiellini, Domenico Criscito, Zdenek Grygera, Nicola Legrottaglie, Cristian Molinaro, Jonathan Zebina
Midfielders:
Sergio Almiron, Mauro Camoranesi, Marco Marchionni, Pavel Nedved, Antonio Nocerino, Ruben Olivera, Hasan Salihamidzic, Tiago Mendes, Cristiano Zanetti
Forwards:
Alessandro Del Piero, Vincenzo Iaquinta, Raffaele Palladino, David Trezeguet
Out on Loan:
Claudio Marchisio, Paolo De Ceglie, Sebastian Giovinco, Raffaele Bianco, Davide Lanzafame, Andrea Luci, Riccardo Maniero, Antonio Mirante
Goalkeeper
Absolutely no work needed here. Gianluigi Buffon is head and shoulders the best goalkeeper in the world and will be so for at least the next five or six years.
Defence
Since midway through the week four clash against Roma, when Giorgio Chiellini and Nicola Legrottaglie began their centre-back partnership, Juventus have a brilliant defensive record and have conceded just nine goals in 13-and-a-half games.
Despite this it is clear that a lot of work still needs to be done to improve the Juve backline. The likes of the disaster-prone Boumsong and the forever-injured Andrade should be sold, as should the ageing Birindelli.
Despite Legrottaglie’s excellent form Juve still require a top-class centre back partner for Chiellini. I would urge the club to make a move for Palermo’s Andrea Barzagli. The stopper proved for the Italian national team in this season’s crucial Euro 2008 matches against France, Ukraine, Georgia and Scotland that he has the ability to be a truly top-class performer. Chiellini and Barzagli could be at the heart of the Juventus and Italy defence for the next five or six years.
Other options include Bayern Munich’s Lucio, who would like to move to Serie A and would be an outstanding purchase. Lokomotiv Moscow’s Branislav Ivanovic would favour a transfer to Italy, although it now seems he is on his way to Chelsea.
Fiorentina’s Tomas Ujfalusi could be an excellent cheap option as he is available on a free transfer in the summer. Finally there is Aston Villa’s Olof Mellberg, whose contract is also running out, however I would advise to stay way clear of the pragmatic Swede.
As for the full-back positions I believe Juve are well stacked on the right with Zebina and Grygera and it would be unnecessary to waste money bringing someone in unless they were exceptionally superior to this pair. Once again Ujfalusi could prove a perfect acquisition for this reason.
However on the left there is certainly room for improvement. Molinaro has impressed greatly in an offensive capacity this season, however his defending leaves a lot to be desired. Realistic targets include Bayern’s Philipp Lahm, Fiorentina’s Manuel Pasqual, or the player I would go for – Lyon’s Fabio Grosso.
Finally it must be remembered that Domenico Criscito, regarded by many as a future Azzurri star, should be far more experienced next season as well.
Midfield
Without doubt the midfield is Juventus’ problem area. The summer transfer campaign was a complete disaster with the club choosing to share their money on Sergio Almiron and Tiago, rather than splash out on one guaranteed world-class player.
I would offload both of these players before their market values decrease any further, and would also sell Olivera and one of either Marchionni or Salihamidzic.
For a start Juventus need one top-class defensive midfielder. I would urge a move for Liverpool’s Javier Mascherano, who in my opinion is the second best defensive midfielder in the world after Inter’s Esteban Cambiasso. His price tag of €24m is putting off a number of clubs, something I cannot understand as he is a guaranteed world-class performer. Indeed the combined cost of Almiron and Tiago was close to this price – who would you rather prefer?
Other defensive midfielders linked with the Bianconeri include Arsenal’s Matthieu Flamini, who could be available on a free transfer and would also be an excellent choice. Gilberto Silva is certainly available, however he will be 32 in the summer and his legs are certainly starting to fail him.
Palermo’s Fabio Simplicio and Valencia’s David Albelda should be steered way clear of, as should Liverpool’s Momo Sissoko.
Ranieri is a huge admirer of Sissoko and all Juventus fans should be praying that the Mali international is not at the club next season. The 22-year-old, described by some as the “new Patrick Vieira” is possibly the most over-rated player I have ever seen in my life.
He cannot pass, he cannot tackle without getting booked, and he scores on average about one goal a season - in fact all he can do is run.
If Momo Sissoko is the "new Patrick Vieira" then Emile Heskey is the "new Pele".
Juventus also require a creative centre midfielder – someone who can open up defences with an incisive pass and can also dictate the pace of the game.
The three attacking midfielders most associated with the Bianconeri are Frank Lampard, Rafael Van der Vaart, and Diego.
Out of three I would most certainly go for Diego. The Werder Bremen star both scores and creates goals – indeed he is top scorer of the Bundesliga this season ahead of the likes of Luca Toni and Miroslav Klose.
Van der Vaart has never totally convinced me when I have watched him in the past, although he is preferable over Lampard, who despite an excellent footballing brain, is lacking in the technique department.
The right hand side of the team I would keep as it is with Camoranesi and one of either Marchionni or Salihamidzic. Nocerino is also more than capable of filling in on the right, as is Palladino.
On the left it is clear that Pavel Nedved cannot go on forever, however there is a distinct shortage of top-class left midfielders that could realistically be purchased.
Wonderkid Sebastian Giovinco can comfortably play this role, and I would reserve this position for him next season, as well as give fellow on-loan starlet Claudio Marchisio a squad position in the centre of midfield. One must also not forget left-midfielder Paolo De Ceglie, on loan at Siena, who is another explosive young talent who many regard to be a future Italy international.
Attack
This season only Inter can challenge Juventus for having the best array of attackers in Serie A. Trezeguet, Del Piero, Iaquinta and Palladino have all been superb this campaign.
The likes of Amauri and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar have been linked with a move to the club, however signing either of these players would be a big mistake and a waste of money, despite their undoubted talent.
I would confirm the same four strikers for 2007/08, as well as adding the brilliant Sebastian Giovinco, who as mentioned above can also play on the left of midfield. These five will do some serious damage, without the addition of Amauri or Huntelaar.
Instead Juventus should pour all the resources they have available to them into buy a top-class defensive midfielder, a top-class creative midfielder and a top-class centre back. My three choices respectively would be Mascherano, Diego and Barzagli.
Only if there is still money available after this should they look at other positions, chiefly the left back role and possibly the left of midfield.
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