For many Juventus fans there is uncertainty about whether Igor Tudor being appointed as head coach on a permanent basis was a wise decision, but he was their cheap option.
Following the arrival of Thiago Motta last summer, who was given carte blanche to make sweeping changes and splash the cash on bringing in new players, Juventus learned a harsh lesson.
Had the club been in a position to hand their manager big bucks to dip into the transfer market then former Juve boss Antonio Conte could well be at the helm, rather than plotting how to retain the Scudetto.
While it appears to be a two-team race between Inter Milan and Napoli for the Serie A title, other clubs have heavily invested to have a shot at dismantling the usual title contenders.
AC Milan and AS Roma appear to be better placed than Juventus to secure a top-four finish, which earned a Champions League berth.
Never say never in transfer market
Although Juve have been off the pace in the transfer market, things could suddenly dramatically alter. The Turin titans have improved during their friendlies, despite looking defensively vulnerable at times.
There may be some despair within the club, but Tudor has produced some positive pre-season results and collected his first trophy by beating Atalanta in a one-off match.
Tudor’s latest task is to ensure that Juve possess enough firepower to tackle the forthcoming season. He managed to land Canada international Jonathan David as a free transfer last month, which occurred in order to dislodge Dusan Vlahovic.
It is not the sort of straight swap that it looks like on paper despite the duo’s impressive scoring records for club and country.
David vs Vlahovic playing styles
David is a goal poacher who lacks space, and specializes in creating chances while stuck in tight spaces. Vlahovic is an industrious and physical center forward, who relies on precision rather than power but requires service.
Vlahovic, who has turned down a contract extension at Juve as well as approaches from both the Saudi Pro League and Turkish Super Lig, was supposed to have been offloaded this summer.
Instead he has outshone David during pre-season games, bagging three goals in four brief appearances, and appears to be part of Tudor’s plans for what would be a spectacular U-turn.
Yet a trio of La Liga giants, including Barcelona, are monitoring his situation as he could be picked up relatively cheaply by being in his last year of his Juventus contract.
AC Milan drop Vlahovic interest
AC Milan had been the favorites to lure the 25-year-old Serbia star this summer, but former Juve manager Max Allegri has turned his attention to Nigeria hot-shot Victor Boniface from Bayer Leverkusen.
Newcastle United have renewed their interest in Vlahovic. The club were toothless in their Premier League opener without striker Alexander Isak, who is wanted by Liverpool.
Tudor will not wish to relinquish Vlahovic, Juve’s top scorer every season since he joined in January 2022, unless there is a replacement brought in.
The arrival of striker Kolo Muani, who enjoyed a successful short loan spell at Juventus last term, remains uncertain. The French international is willing to accept a pay cut to play for the Bianconeri, but Paris Saint-Germain have yet to reach an agreement with Juve.
Muani's arrival in Turin is up in the air
Juventus want to land Muani on a season-long loan with a conditional obligation to buy, but PSG are holding out for a straight sale to a Premier League club. There has been endless interest from the English top tier, with Newcastle and Tottenham Hotspur the most likely potential destinations.
PSG have also hiked up Muani’s transfer fee next summer, with cash-strapped Juventus unable to commit until they have secured funds from player sales.
With Fabio Miretti’s proposed deal to Napoli collapsing following his recent injury, and no concrete offers for Vlahovic, the Bianconeri are relying on selling Luiz and winger Nicolas Gonzalez to finance signing a new striker.
Yet the club will have to wait until next summer to generate big bucks from a potential sale of Luiz. The Brazilian is set to undertake a medical at Nottingham Forest today, which should lead to a season-long loan with a conditional obligation to buy for €30 million (US$35m).
Gonzalez has options away from Juve
Gonzalez could also soon be plying his trade in the Premier League. The Argentine World Cup winner has attracted the attention of newly-promoted Leeds United, although Atletico Madrid have shown serious interest in acquiring the 27-year-old and Vlahovic.
Juve have Muani as a priority signing should Atletico push for a double deal, although they will require a back-up plan. There’s been plenty of rumors circling around for another strike all summer, but most have been out of the club’s price range.
Nicolas Jackson is likely to remain in the Premier League with Arsenal and Aston Villa keen to land the Chelsea outcast while Manchester United’s Rasmus Hojlund and RB Leipzig’s Lois Openda have also been touted as possible new Juventus signings.
If the club wishes to take a gamble and save money, Sporting Lisbon’s 20-year-old attacker Conrad Harder should be considered, having netted 13 goals in 54 matches last season. There’s not long until Juve’s Serie A kicks off, with the arrival of Parma on Sunday, and still the club have not finalized a plethora of transfer deals.