The Turin-based Alvaro Morata enthusiasts eventually heaved a sigh of relief as Juventus confirmed that the Spanish international would be at the Piedmontese side until June 2022. Juventus made the right choice this time, believe many. Considering the choices they had, tying Morata to a further year, albeit a loan transfer, is the best they could do in the middle of the pandemic-impacted market. The deal will reportedly cost Bianconeri €10 million, but, on the bright side, Le Zebre will get to cherish the attributes of the Spaniard for another season.
With Massimiliano Allegri returning to the helm, the focus is on a potential renovation of the whole squad. The Striking department hasn’t been an issue since Cristiano Ronaldo left Real Madrid to join the cause of Juventus in 2018. But it could be next season as rumours have kept on suggesting a possible departure of Cristiano Ronaldo. And even if Ronaldo stays, the need for an extra striker is quite notable, with the current Juve team seriously lacking the presence of lethal backups in the forward section.
Keeping that in mind, only Morata’s loan would not meet the demands of the Piedmontese club. Juve have been linked to several forward options this summer, but will they get to sign any of them? We can only gauge the possibilities, and then time will tell us the complete story. Here, we have ranked five possible forward targets for Juventus.
5. Gabriel Jesus — Juventus shouldn’t be dreaming, right?
Over the last few weeks, Gabriel Jesus has been extensively linked with a summer move to Juventus from Manchester City. But, before diving into the details, let’s assess the current situation of the striker. 24, Jesus is bound to Man City’s terms until June 2023. He just finished the 2020-21 campaign for Manchester City, becoming the champions of England in a season where he logged 14 goals and 4 assists from 2,835 minutes of football across all competitions (per Transfermarkt).
Manchester City have recently lost Sergio Kun Aguero to Barcelona on a free transfer, meaning Pep Guardiola is already on the hunt for a suitable replacement for Aguero. And in this situation, would he even consider allowing another one of his star strikers to leave the Mancunian club this summer? It is highly unlikely.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the idea of a loan deal has been mentioned between the clubs, with the Juventus boardroom mainly interested in “acquiring (Gabriel Jesus) on loan, without immediate financial obligations”.
The pandemic has affected Juve’s finances heavily. Now, if they were to sign Jesus, valued at €60 million by Transfermarkt, permanently, they would have to sign him by paying an enormous transfer fee. Signing on loan, on the other hand, would come cheap.
But then again, Gabriel Jesus, despite having a subdued 2020-21 season for Guardiola’s Man City, is liked by his coaches and is not the sort of player one could expect to get on a loan.
4. Mauro Icardi
You are well aware of the name. Considered one of the most controversial faces in world football, Mauro Icardi has been described as a potential transfer target for Juventus for quite some time now. The general consideration is that he could be a part of a swap deal which would see Paris Sain-Germain, Icard’s current team, getting Cristiano Ronaldo and Juventus obtaining the signature of the Argentine forward in return.
Playing in Frace, Icardi, now 28, scored 13 goals and recorded 6 assists from 28 matches last season despite being held back by several injury and fitness issues. Formerly with Inter Milan and UC Sampdoria, Mauro Icardi occupies the valuable experience of playing in the Italian league. And in spite of showing the signs of inconsistency at times, he could prove to be a decent backup option for the Bianconeri next term.
But, as of now, the deal is far from reaching its fulfilment, with Icardi claiming that he and his family is happy in Paris. A few weeks back, he reaffirmed his loyalty to PSG by stating:
"“I regret that some media misinform. My family and I are very happy in Paris and I have many years left on my contract. I am proud that other teams are interested, but my present and my future are in Paris “"
And not to forget, Inter Milan included an ‘anti-Juventus’ clause, worth around €15 million, in Mauro Icardi’s Paris Saint-Germain deal while selling the striker to refrain him from joining their Italian arch-rivals. Therefore, PSG might think twice before coming to any definitive judgment over the potential sale of Mauro Icardi.
3. Gianluca Scamacca
Gianluca Scamacca remains to be that mysterious one for Juventus and their transfer ambitions. The Roma-born striker came close to joining the Bianconeri on loan last January. But, a notable contrast in interest ultimately hindered the move.
As reported by Calciomercato, Juventus wanted to sign him on loan for the remaining part of the 2020-21 season, while Sassuolo, Scamacca’s parent club, were more inclined to carry out a permanent deal or introduce a loan with the obligation to buy. Juventus declined the proposal, and Scamacca finished his campaign at Genoa.
On loan from Sassuolo, Scamacca was a reliable individual in front of the goal for Davide Ballardini’s men, having racked up 12 goals, including one against Juve last April, and 2 assists from 29 matches from the 2020-21 campaign. Reports have insisted time and again that Juventus, despite missing out on a chance of landing him last January, holds a keen interest in the 22-year-old forward. And talks might progress in the upcoming weeks.
With a bodily stature of 6ft 3in, Scamacca could be a fitting backup option for Alvaro Morata. Despite possessing Cristiano Ronaldo under the ranks, Juventus have missed the aura of an out-and-out target man. The former PSV academy graduate in Scamacca could be that target man for them. Allegri is thought to be on a mission of building a Juventus side for the future. Well, Scamacca is the kind of player he should be looking at for that respective purpose.
2. Arkadiusz Milik
“I have dreams and I want to play in the best clubs in the world. It’s my goal,” admitted Arkadiusz Milik while speaking to a French publication in L’Equipe (via Tuttosport). Although Milik was bold with his choice of words that day, you and I do know, by now, that he was perhaps talking about Juventus.
The real chase for the Polish sharp-shooter began back in the summer of 2020. However, Juventus’ interest in him was long-standing. Realising that a bid was imminent, Napoli president and owner, Aurelio De Laurentiis, glued a price tag of around €45 million on the player’s services. He knew that Milik would be a free agent in a year time, but it was a mischievous attempt from him to totally extinguish the interest from the Bianconeri.
Eventually, Milik ended up joining Olympique de Marseille on an 18-month loan deal last January. Milik’s current terms hold an obligation to buy around €8 million which could extend further to around €12 million due to various performance-related add-ons. In his first season in France, Milik was not far from being wasteful in front of the goal, scoring 10 goals from 16 matches.
With Marseille finishing 5th last season in Ligue 1, they will not be a part of the Champions League next campaign, meaning several star players will be looking to part ways with the club.
In his contract, Milik holds a buy-out clause of €12 million. The Polish striker could make Marseille buy him permanently first and then influence a suitor to trigger his reasonable release clause this summer. Should Juventus be still desperately keen on bringing him to Turin, they shouldn’t wait for a second more but pounce on the scene and capture his services.
1. Dusan Vlahovic
What an extraordinary 2020-21 season this lad had! From a lesser-known enigma to one of the most lethal strikers in Serie A, Dusan Vlahovic enjoyed a sumptuous season in Italy, amassing 21 goals from 37 Serie A games last term. Joined from Partizan in 2018, the Fiorentina striker was so lethal and complete that many have already started to see him as a potential favourite for the next season’s Capocannoniere accolade. And it is indeed surprising how he ended up scoring so many goals for a subpar Fiorentina side.
Extra fame means extra attention from rival clubs. And the situation is the same with Vlahovic. The 21-year-old Serb’s current contract with the Florence-based club will expire in June 2023. And if reports surrounding the Italian media are believed to be true, the club is already considering offering him a long-term extension. But the emerging interest from Juventus have believingly made the job hard for La Viola.
Tuttosport claims that Max Allegri would love to have the Serbian by his side next season as the club perceive him as a suitable replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo. Often regarded as a player of similar ilk to Erling Braut Haaland, Dusan Vlahovic is reportedly on the radar of several other top European clubs including Liverpool and Manchester United.
Now, what will happen next? The story has all the ingredients needed to cook a tasty saga. We need to wait to see whether it turns out to be that or Fiorentina get success in keeping hold of the gigantic marksman.