4 reasons for optimism from Juventus’ summer transfer window

Juventus’ summer Mercato ended in anti-climatic fashion several hours before the close of the deadline.

A Deadline Day that initially promised plenty of excitement swiftly evolved into a damp squib as reports emerged on Tuesday morning that the club’s business for the summer was done. They were content with the returning Moise Kean being their final arrival.

That meant, to the disappointment of many, there was no reunion with Miralem Pjanic, no Axel Witsel and no Mauro Icardi. Juventini were swift to vent their frustrations online. Under every “How would you rate this summer’s transfer window?” Twitter post, Juventus fans gathered like a bunch of ravenous great whites to voice their displeasure at the club’s transfer dealings.

It’s understandable. I get it. But after seeing the club take an eternity to secure the arrival of Manuel Locatelli as a result of their strained finances, what did you expect? Sure, the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo frees an enormous amount of funds, but not right away. In the context of a COVID-impacted transfer market, in which Italian clubs were hit considerably more than the free-spenders of the Premier League, Juventus were astute with their business.

Do holes remain in this Bianconeri squad? Yes. Should we be concerned with the depth at some positions? Probably. Was the dismissal of Merih Demiral a mistake? Most certainly. But there’s time to rectify those issues in future windows following a summer in which the optimal solution didn’t manifest.

So, instead of feeling downbeat over Juventus’ transfer activity, here are four reasons why should be optimistic about the club’s summer.

1. Eye for the future

Throughout their tyrannical reign over Calcio in the 2010s, Juventus had a habit of signing free agents to high wages. Dani Alves, Aaron Ramsey, Emre Can and Adrien Rabiot are a few examples.

It was this policy, combined with signing finished products over talented Under-23’s that has contributed to their relative ‘demise’ in the past couple of years. During the 2019/20 campaign, Maurizio Sarri was working with a squad that boasted the highest average age in Serie A (29.7). While Juve were still good enough to win the Scudetto, they fell embarrassingly short in Europe.

Nevertheless, we’ve since seen a shift in policy, one that continued in the summer of 2021.

Since 2018, the likes Matthijs de Ligt (19 when signed), Dejan Kulusevski (19), Federico Chiesa (22) and Weston McKennie (21) have been brought in with an eye for both the present and future. The latter concept being one the Bianconeri often overlooked during their dominant spell.

This summer, we’ve seen this young core bolstered by 24-year-old Locatelli, 19-year-old’s Kaio Jorge and Mohamed Ihattaren and 21-year-old Moise Kean. While Jorge and Ihattaren are unlikely to have a major impact for quite some time, Locatelli’s a transformative move (more on that soon) and Kean showed signs at Paris Saint-Germain of fulfilling the star potential he displayed during his first spell in Turin.

Overall, Juve’s eye for the future is clear and refreshing to see. There’s finally an acceptance that they’re in the midst of a rebuild, a period of transition, call it what you will. While the lack of a Pjanic or Icardi may disappoint fans in the immediate aftermath of the transfer window, the club will be better for it in the long haul.

The 2021/22 iteration of Juventus are far from the finished product, but more transfer windows will come, as will more players. They may not win the lot this season, but the club’s monopoly over Calcio for the past decade hasn’t given them the divine right to triumph perpetually. Italy’s major power are, too, susceptible to periods of instability and transition.