Juventus head coach Igor Tudor was anticipated to be seriously overhauling the squad that he inherited, but there’s been very little movement both in and out.
Prolific goal poacher Jonathan David was signed on a freebie and last year’s loanee Francisco Conceicao is reported by most Italian sports press of returning to the Turin titans.
It remains unconfirmed whether winger Conceicao has put pen to paper for a permanent deal to sign for the Bianconeri from FC Porto.
Michele Di Gregorio arrived on a season-long loan from AC Monza before being purchased on 1 July for the bargain price of €14.3 million (US$16.6m).
He replaced Juve stalwart Wojciech Szczesny, who initially took early retirement until he joined Barcelona. As Juve had to pay a severance package to Szczeczny, Di Gregorio’s salary in Turin was modest.
Last term his salary was €1.2m (US$1.4m), which was under half of second-choice keeper Mattia Perin. With his new contract, which expires in June 2029, his wages are €3.7m (US$4.3m) per season.
The Milan-born shotstopper impressed in his debut season with Juventus, despite conceding 47 goals in 48 appearances. Di Gregorio only conceded a hat-full of goals in the last two games with Thiago Motta in charge, but let in five against a depleted Manchester City side in the FIFA Club World Cup.
Real hero Di Gregorio
The 27-year-old bounced back with aplomb in his next game, sensationally denying star-studded Real Madrid with a whopping 10 spectacular saves to keep the Club World Cup tie down to a respectable 1-0 reversal.
That performance against Real kept potential suitors on their toes, but the keeper is determined to stay at Juventus to further develop his skills.
He turned down the approaches of Nottingham Forest two years ago when at Monza, and last summer rejected the overtures of Liverpool to join Juve. Di Gregorio has now spurned any potential advances from Manchester City.
Di Gregorio has long been on City’s shortlist if their no1 Ederson decides to leave to tackle the Saudi Pro League. Joining the six-time Premier League champions would certainly have earned Di Gregorio big bucks and got him noticed.
Donnarumma still Italy's no1
He is knocking on the door of the Azzurri, with newly-installed head coach Gennaro Gattuso aware of his skill set. Although Gianluigi Donnarumma is the master of the gloves for the Italy national team.
Di Gregorio’s breakout Serie A campaign could be just the start of Juve's resurgence, if Tudor can start bolstering his squad.
He came through the youth academy at Inter Milan, was loaned out to Serie C side AC Renate in 2017 and Serie B Pordenone the following year.
Motta made right move
Di Gregorio went on back-to-back season-long loans at Monza, and helped them net their first-ever Serie A promotion. In his maiden top tier season he scooped the coveted Serie A Best Goalkeeper award, which prompted Motta to make a move.
Both Motta and Tudor have entrusted Di Gregorio’s judgement to either play long or build from the back, which was part of the attraction for City following their relentless scouting missions.
With Perin seemingly not getting much of an opportunity under Tudor, he is seeking a new club to get minutes. The 32-year-old is attracting interest from Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce as well as a handful of Serie A sides, which include Atalanta and Bologna.
Perin only made nine appearances across all competitions this season. He managed to register three clean sheets, while conceding eight goals. He missed out on the Club World Cup campaign after undergoing hand surgery.
Audero on Juve radar
Former Juve keeper Emil Audero could return to the club that he joined as an 11-year-old. He has fallen down the pecking order at Como with just eight league appearances in his maiden season under head coach Cesc Fabregas.
The 27-year-old Indonesia international only made one senior appearance for the Bianconeri, the last game of the 2016/17 Serie A season against Bologna, before spending five years at Sampdoria and then signing for Como last summer.
With Tudor having the reliable and resilient Di Gregorio as first-choice stopper, he now needs to focus on a solid defensive line to support his natural leader.