So first of all, what have you made of the transfer window so far?
@Juvefcdotcom In terms of players that are almost certain deals, I think Ramsey is a good buy - Perhaps it'll take him time to adjust and there's always the concern about injuries, but he's a dynamic type of midfielder who could really excel in Sarri's 3-man mid. Demiral looks a done deal and i think that's a great buy - I've not seen lots of him, but what i have seen has been impressive. He has leadership characteristics and looks bold and brave at the back, unafraid, physical and i think we need that for the post-Chiellini years. Romero looks another decent talent, perhaps a little rough around the edges, needs to work on his timing and positioning but another season at Genoa could see him improve a great deal. Traore looked really promising at Empoli - still so young so it's hard to judge, but he has a little bite to his game, very intelligent looking player and it's going to be great to see him develop, whether he comes to Juve or not.
For those that we're linked to: I'm not convinced that spending €150 on brining Pogba back is a great decision. I'll always have a soft spot for Paul and what he did in those years in Turin, but he is inconsistent, sloppy at times and far too reliant on having great players around him to excel - he can;t lead. We saw that when he got the '10' shirt from Juve - he wilted under the pressure. United made him their 'big' signing a few years back and i think the jury is still out on what he's given them. It seems a lot of united fans would be happy to cash in on him while a lot of Juventus supporters think we're getting a player who's kicked on in terms of progress since he left us. I'm really not convinced - I would rather we offer less and go for Milinkovic-Savic who looks a far more mature player. Someone who has a better work rate and still has room for improvement. I think he's more of what we need. Chiesa is an interesting one who looks perfect for the 4-3-3 that Sarri may use but i'm not convinced he's worth anything close to the 70m thats being asked. Same goes for Zaniolo who would need time to improve and may not get chances in a Juventus team that already boasts a lot of experienced forwards. I think the idea of a star CB and we've been linked with De Ligt, but i think he's out of our price range. Manolas is a worthy investment at the €36m that his buyout clause is set at - not a star, but one who may come on for spending time with Chiellini. Icardi is a big no for me. I don't want him anywhere near Juventus. He's a liability and it's only a matter of time before he explodes again. No thanks. Rabiot is an interesting one - another free transfer - A player who could offer a lot and would be available for a relatively low price.
On Paul Pogba then, regardless of your personal feelings towards a potential deal, how likely do you believe it is that he will end up back in Turin come the end of the summer? And which players do you believe are most at risk to be included in any player + cash deal? Is his salary even affordable?
@Juvefcdotcom I'm really confused about it because it would be a massive outlay and leave little money for much else. I don't know how heavily we can afford to spend after spending €100m on Cristiano and then his salary. Regardless, i think if the chance is there and Pogba says he wants to come, I can see Paratici and Agnelli finding a way to fund it. Could be that that cash in on Dybala of use the funds from Cancelo's sale towards it. I think so much of Pogba's arrival will really depend on who they choose to see and for how much.
You mentioned Cancelo, it seems he’s nearing a move to Manchester City. Any particular reason Juventus were willing to sell?
I have heard at least 3 distinct reasons, each one more speculative than the last: 1) they simply want to make a profit on a player they paid €40m for last summer - that seems odd as the profit would be €10-20m at most and doesn't seem worth selling him for, especially as he's a very promising fb. 2) He fell out with management and there was some talk of him liking some anti-Allegri posts on social media. Seems ridiculous to lose him for that. utterly ridiculous. 3. It;s some kind of agreement Juve have with City - To sell him this summer in the hopes of keeping them sweet for Guardiola - this was more of a theory before Sarri was announced. I personally think it's a combination of 1 and 2 plus the player probably wouldn't mind earning more at City and being coached by Pep in a team that would allow him to attack more and defend less
Earlier you mentioned Rabiot, it seems he’s closing in on a move to the Old Lady. Yet another impressive free transfer it seems! Including him, Ramsey and potentially Pogba, wouldn’t there be a midfielder too many at the club?
@Juvefcdotcom I think it might be overkill to be honest! at the same time, Ramsey doesn't have a great track record, Khedira may leave, Bentancur has to improve, Can needs to find his role - Rabiot and Pogba may do some of the same things, but we've been without a quality midfield for about 4 years now so the management may be trying to make up for it. I like the idea of having more options than not enough but it's more likely they'll get one of Rabiot or Pogba to be honest
With so many potential signings in the midfield, could the likes of Pjanic and Bentacor be on their way out? United for instance may be more willing to let Pogba go should Pjanic be coming in the other direction!
I don't think Pjanic will leave - I suspect he may be fundamental to Sarri's plans as he will need a Jorginho type to sit at the base of his midfield. He said himself that he doesn't want to go and the club seem to be suggesting he's not for sale which makes sense.
We’ve spoken about Dybala and his future many times. This summer may be the one that sees the forward depart. Should he be included in any swap deal, how do you believe it would go down amongst the fans?
@Juvefcdotcom I think it's more split than before - Some may be happy to cash in now while others would be sorry to see him go. I still think we can get more out of him and a coach like Sarri may push him higher up and either use him as a false 9 or possibly try him behind the two forwards in a 4-3-1-2. I think so much of this will depend on the coach and what he wants and needs. I think the management would prefer to have him stay but it will really depend on how he fits into Sarri's ideas. United could be a possible destination but i'm not sure he wants the Pl - i always saw him as a Barcelona player in the future
On Sarri himself briefly, were you happy with the appointment? Is he the man to take Juventus to European success?
@Juvefcdotcom I am begrudgingly prepared to give him a chance. The alternative would be to whine and complain and say 'i told you so', should he fail, but that has never interested me. It makes more sense to get behind him, back him and see if he can improve the team. I would like to win the league again, given Conte is now at Inter but i have no expectations at all next season and hope to simply enjoy this new approach
Certainly should be a big season ahead in Serie A! Finally, what would you (a) like to see from now till the end of the transfer window and (b) what do you expect to see?
@Juvefcdotcom a) Savic, Demiral, Traore, Romero - a top quality CB, not averse to the idea of picking up Rabiot on a free - A replacement for Cancelo but i'm not sure who just yet
b) expect to see most of the above, one of either Pogba, Savic or Rabiot, perhaps Mandzukic sold, Cuadrado too - Khedira leave- Perhaps Chiesa arriving as well
Too be honest, there are so many names and such a little idea of what we actually need for Sarri to play his game - There's more questions than answers right now!
I hadn’t mentioned it however just to end (this time for real) where do you see the CB situation? Would Manalos be sufficient? Or should the club be pushing more for the likes of De Ligt or even Koulibaly?
@Juvefcdotcom We should be pushing for the biggest names - our success is always built on a strong back line so to see Manolas linked it's more of 'ah, ok' than feeling too happy or ecstatic. I would love Koulibaly or De ligt but i think they're both out of reach for us right now. The investment will probably go in the midfield while getting promising or up and coming defenders at a low price with a view to have them learn and gradually integrate as opposed to actual start in the big games (*Pre De Ligt breakthrough *)
UPDATE - De Ligt closing in on Juventus move
Thoughts on the De Ligt news?
@Juvefcdotcom There were links between us and him last year when he met Paratici and Nedved, saw the stadium. Reports seem to have quietened since then as Barca looked 99% certain to land him. Now, from what i read, he wants Juve and the club are working to get it finalised. I'm still a little shocked to be honest as i was convinced it would be Barca or PSG - Only way this gets done is if he has expressed a wish to come to Turin, which is huge. Again, only way i can see him agreeing is if they club really see him as a long term successor to Chiellini and want him there for the last two years that Giorgio is at the club to learn what it's all about. I'm trying to stay level headed about it, but on a personal note, defensive signings are the ones that i get most excited about as quality defenders are few and far between. This has the potential to eclipse last season and make us a better side yet again. Watch this space.....
Certainly seems an exciting one! And just quickly, will any potential De Ligt rule out a big move for the likes of Pogba, Savic etc?
i am honestly not sure yet - I understand it as : Rabiot = FREE so we pay his signing on bonus and a good salary but escape spreading out a transfer fee. Ramsey the same. Money generated from Cancelo to City covers a big portion of the De Ligt deal plus we have to pay a little extra. Sales of fringe players can cover a potential deal for Trippier (around £25m) which means we would still have a little left for a potentially 'big' summer move but Pogba's salary seems way too high. I would see us more likely to get SmS at a reasonable cost and a reasonable salary than Pogba. but i;m only guessing!
