Juventus would like to sign a striker this summer, but they should not grab the easiest option without trying to sign other players.
Gonzalo Higuain is at the end of the line, so Juventus must find a new striker. While Paulo Dybala has been a striker for Juve this past season as Serie A’s MVP, the Bianconeri would like to sign an out-and-out striker to work with Cristiano Ronaldo and Dybala. That is, assuming both superstars stay this summer amidst more swirling rumors during our favorite “season” of the year.
Juve have been linked to Raul Jimenez and Alexandre Lacazette in the Premier League. And as you’d expect, they’ve shown interest in a number of Serie A strikers. But no player has been mentioned as a potential Juve signing more frequently than Napoli’s Arkadiusz Milik.
It makes sense. Milik is a known commodity in Serie A, he’s entering the prime of his career, he could be much more productive at Juventus than at Napoli, and he would be a very affordable signing in comparison to the likes of Duvan Zapata and Jimenez.
But according to a report from Nicolo Schira, Milik isn’t at the top of new manager Andrea Pirlo’s list. That means Roma or Inter, whom Schira also says have interest in Milik, could swoop in to sign the Polish striker.
Juventus manager wise to not place Arkadiusz Milik at the top of his list
Pirlo’s lukewarmness on Milik makes sense. While Milik is a good player, Juventus are an ambitious club. With Ronaldo only being in Turin for, likely, a couple of more years, they need to win now. In order to win now, the Bianconeri must sign the best possible players.
That won’t be easy during the current economic situation in football, but Juve must use their creativity and try their best. They’ve already secured one big win in the transfer window by acquiring Arthur Melo for Miralem Pjanic, so perhaps they can do the same at striker.
Milik, for Juve, is the safe option. He scored 11 goals in 2019-2020 and 17 in 2018-2019 when he was one of Serie A’s top strikers. The 26-year-old is strong, athletic, and capable of finishing from just about anywhere. He can bring quality to Juve’s attack.
However, he’s not as well-rounded as Jimenez, Zapata, Dzeko, or Lacazette. Milik isn’t necessarily one-dimensional, but he’s more of a scorer than anything else. If he doesn’t mesh will with Ronaldo and Dybala, then Juventus haven’t made a strong enough upgrade.
Pirlo must keep him on his radar, but he is wise not to jump at Milik as the top option. There are better players who could pique Pirlo’s interest, and it is up to the Bianconeri to figure out how they can make the strongest possible addition at this important position.