Juve plans the future: goals for Carlos Augusto and Holm. But the dream remains Milinkovic

Max Allegri’s bench is solid. Anchored by a super contract expiring in 2025 and by the investiture of John Elkann who has indicated him as the main reference in the Juve sports area. Obviously a coach in football always depends on results, but today the glass is half full and the team – excluding the disappointment of being eliminated from the Champions League in the first part – is in the running for all goals. The success in Nantes has also relaunched their ambitions in the Europa League: in Turin they dream thirty years later of reliving the distant 1993, when a team in full transformation due to a generational change managed to keep a fast pace in the European arena towards winning the Cup Uefa.

New sporting director

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Juve’s future depends above all on next year’s Champions League. Two viable ways: win the Europa League or recover the 15 penalty points in the league, so as to regain possession of what – despite what has been won on the field so far – currently would be second place in the standings. Without the top European competition, which guarantees a certain income flow, the project would instead need to be reviewed with some possible painful cuts. In any case, the structure is preparing to welcome a new sports director, who will give continuity to the work done on young people in recent years and will ensure that they integrate better into a work team that should largely be confirmed. Possible repositioning in management for Federico Cherubini, while Francesco Calvo will remain head of the Sport area in deferment to the managing director Maurizio Scanavino. The transfer market man will have to support Max Allegri above all: the names of Frederic Massara and Giovanni Rossi remain among the most accredited also for the already tested relationship with the Juventus coach.

First goals

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With the Champions League in hand, the aim will be to retain all (or almost all) of the top players in the squad. Allegri has clear ideas about Di Maria: he still wants him at the center of the project and will do everything to convince him to stay. The coach is also satisfied with the impact Milik had, the best in the first part of the season and particularly useful in various tactical solutions: for this reason he could give a positive opinion to activate the purchase option on the Pole. Meanwhile Kean (who will be redeemed) is coming out and Vlahovic is still a guarantee. The confirmation of the entire advanced department would give more leeway to operate with serenity in other areas of the field where it will be necessary to intervene. In particular on the outside lanes, since both Cuadrado and Alex Sandro will expire in June. The coach would like elements of perspective but already protagonists in Italian football, therefore ready for Serie A. The name for the left flank is that of Carlos Augusto del Monza: a player that Juve has been following for unsuspecting times, since his arrival in Italy . For the right-hand lane, on the other hand, one looks with interest at Holm dello Spezia.

Between dream and perspective

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Juve hopes first of all to sell, having some operations already well addressed. In particular McKennie, for which Leeds should pay 34 and a half million, and Zakaria, on which Chelsea are now really reflecting. The midfield remains the department most exposed to changes. Because, while waiting to understand how Pogba will return, we will probably have to deal with two transfers: that of Paredes, who will not be redeemed and will return to PSG, and most likely that of Rabiot, for which several Premier League clubs are willing to put a new contract on the table with a double-digit salary. Allegri’s dream is Milinkovic Savic, perhaps no longer so unattainable: also because next summer will be only one year before the deadline with Lazio. But the Juventus management also keeps an eye on Frattesi from Sassuolo and Hjulmand from Lecce, both born in 1999 and on display this year. The return of some young players that the club loaned out last summer will also be evaluated: specifically Rovella and Ranocchia, both currently playing at Monza; but also of Cambiaso from Bologna.

Under the lens

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Another profile to monitor in Serie A is that of Gonzales from Lecce: another midfielder who reconciles body well with technique, born in 2002 and therefore with an interesting perspective. While in defense De Winter could return to Turin, who is enjoying a good training season at Empoli. And Parisi must always be taken into consideration, the left-handed full-back who in the same Tuscan club is proving he can deserve a move to a top club. The goalkeeper theme deserves a separate chapter: because Szczesny has a contract until 2024 and in theory it is not under discussion, but since it is a delicate and strategic role, Juve could decide to anticipate the arrival of an extreme defender capable of collect the inheritance, just as happened with him a few years ago during Buffon’s undisputed ownership. All this for the Italian market. As for the foreign market, however, the feeling is that the club – away from Italy – intends to concentrate its range of action on an even lower average age, so as to be able to train players for three years within the youth and reap more benefits by switching between the pros.