'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Juventus had a disappointing campaign last season as they lost the Serie A title to Inter and just managed to finish fourth in the league table. In addition, they were knocked out in the Champions League last 16 by Porto.
As a result, rookie coach Andrea Pirlo was sacked by the club and Massimiliano Allegri was brought back to replace him in the dugout. The club have also reached an agreement for two new players in the form of Kaio Jorge and Manuel Locatelli to bolster their ranks.
Juventus still have plenty of concerns ahead of the new Serie A season
Allegri's return to the helm will definitely boost the club's chances of re-establishing them as a force in Serie A. But there are also plenty of other on-field and off-field concerns that the club need to address heading into the new season.
Let's take a look at the five concerns Juventus have going into the 2021-22 Serie A campaign:
#4 Super League Drama
In April, 12 clubs which included the traditional Premier League big six, Inter, AC Milan, Juventus, Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid and Barcelona, decided to form a European Super League.
But Premier League clubs backed down within 48 hours after facing overwhelming backlash from fans, players and organizations. Inter, AC Milan and Atletico Madrid followed suit. The nine clubs also rejoined the European Club Association (ECA), which they left behind in April.
But the remaining three clubs - Juventus, Real Madrid and Barcelona - are still pursuing the idea of the Super League. They even released a joint statement after a court in Madrid ruled that all financial and sporting penalties against the founding members of the Super League should be dropped.
Serie A have already threatened Juventus that they could be kicked out of the league if they continue to pursue the Super League. While this might not happen, the controversy could still affect the players and might invoke more anger and fury from the fans in the future.
#3 Juventus lack a creative midfielder
Ahead of the new Serie A season, there’s one area where Juventus need to bolster this summer: midfield. They are close to signing Manuel Locatelli but he will act more as a pivot and they still need a creative midfielder in their ranks.
Aaron Ramsey and Weston McKennie do not really fill the creative midfield category. They are space interpreters, using their position and movement to find holes in the opponent's defensive structure more effectively, rather than the subtleties of the ball under their feet.
Paulo Dybala fits the bill, but the Argentine has had a lot of injury issues in recent years and has mainly been utilized in the front two whenever available. Dejan Kulusevski certainly has the potential to perform in the role, but the young Swede is still raw and has been inconsistent of late.
As such Juventus need to utilize the transfer market to bring in a creative midfielder before the new Serie A season begins.
#2 Squad Depth
Throughout Juventus' nine-year Serie A reign, the Bianconeri used to possess some incredible depth within their squads - in terms of both quantity and quality. During Max Allegri's first stint, the Serie A giants always had two capable players for every position on the field.
Even during the Antonio Conte era, Juventus had five strikers within their ranks to compete for two positions on the pitch.
However, the club only have three recognized strikers in today's squad. In defense, Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci are in the twilight of their careers and will soon need replacing. The midfield has been packed with players but none of them seem to provide the necessary quality.
Last season, injuries to key players meant Pirlo was unable to replace them with other quality players. As such Juventus struggled during the latter stages of the campaign and finished 4th in Serie A. This shows that a relatively small number of absentees can cause havoc in the Bianconeri squad.
Hence, Juventus need to add depth to their current squad before the transfer window closes if they want to compete on all fronts.
#1 Financial crisis at the club
The financial crisis of clubs in Serie A has worsened a lot since the pandemic. According to reports, Serie A recorded a loss of €754 million in the previous financial year while the clubs in it have reached a record €2.8 billion in accumulated debt.
Juventus has also been hit hard due to the pandemic, which has prevented fans from attending matches and reduced marketing and merchandise opportunities.
Controlled by the Agnelli family, Juventus had said in February that it expected the 2020-21 financial year to end severe lossess. They have already recorded a loss of €113 million in the first half of the year. In addition to that Juventus also recorded a net debt of €400 million in June last year.
As such Juventus have not been able to make any new major signings in the transfer market barring Manuel Locatelli for around €40 million. There were also rumors floating around that the Bianconeri were looking to offload Cristiano Ronaldo due to his high wages but those were squashed by the Portuguese last night.
Juventus have reportedly reached out to banks to overcome the challenges of its pandemic-stricken finances. With crowds returning to stadiums soon, the Serie A giants will be hoping matchday revenue can help them in trying to resolve their financial predicament.
