Last summer, Juventus signed one of the world’s best young center backs in Matthijs de Ligt. How does this transfer look nearly one year later?
The break in the 2019-2020 Serie A and Champions League campaigns means it’s time for Juventus fans to reflect on where the team stands. Although the 2020 summer transfer window will look incredibly different due to the current economic situation in football, Juve could make some moves, especially when it comes to boosting their midfield.
Last summer, Juventus were certainly active in the transfer market. In addition to signing two well-known names in the midfield on free transfers, the Bianconeri also brought in a few key players for their defense.
Matthijs de Ligt was undoubtedly the biggest addition. Signed for 75 million euros from Ajax, de Ligt joined Juve after a sensational 2018-2019 campaign as the Champions League upstart side’s leader. The 20-year-old center back took some time to get acclimated to life in the notoriously tactical Serie A, but by the end of the season, he looked right at home.
Another young center back signing from 2019, Merih Demiral, didn’t need as much time to get acclimated. He only started a handful of games due to an ACL tear, but prior to his injury, Demiral was one of Juve’s best players. The 18 million euro man from Sassuolo can join de Ligt to form one of the best center back pairings in Europe whenever Leonardo Bonucci takes a backseat.
Juventus signed two more experienced defensive players on top of those impressive center backs. Gianluigi Buffon returned from PSG in order to back up Wojciech Szczesny in his never-ending pursuit of a Champions League trophy. The Old Lady also added Danilo as part of the Joao Cancelo deal, and the 29-year-old Brazilian was a useful backup for Juan Cuadrado at right back.
All of those defensive signings worked out well, even considering de Ligt’s price tag. The promise is clearly there.
However, Juventus still haven’t gotten much of anything from their “free” (air quotes since the contracts are decidedly NOT free) signings. Adrien Rabiot and Aaron Ramsey were supposed to inject attacking excitement to Juve’s midfield, but, like their aging counterparts, failed to provide quality matching their name recognition.
Rabiot and Ramsey had some bright moments, but both men played less than 2,000 minutes combined. Ramsey showed flashes of brilliance with three goals, whereas Rabiot contributed no goals or assists to Juve’s attack. Rabiot’s consistent passing, including a total completion percentage rate of 91, was evident, but neither player showed the quality indicating they could be “the answer” in midfield.
Juventus are looking at options on the transfer market to fill their holes in midfield, because they need better output from the players behind star men Cristiano Ronaldo and Paulo Dybala. Ramsey and Rabiot are mentioned in transfer rumors out of the club, with Rabiot’s exit seemingly more likely due to the lack of end product.
Because of the key contributions from the defensive signings and the especially bright futures for de Ligt and Demiral, the Bianconeri’s 2019 summer window was a modest success. However, their band-aid solutions in midfield have been ineffective thus far, necessitating stronger upgrades in 2020.