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Serie A giants Juventus have always had the privilege of depending on some of the most committed men in the business. These players may not have been the best in their department, but the heart they brought to the team could not be quantified by dry, one-dimensional numbers.
Cristiano Ronaldo, who signed for the club in 2018, is undoubtedly Juventus's most important player. However, that should not give us the license to undervalue the backbone the Italian side possesses. Despite losing some key men over the years, Juventus have managed to maintain a strong, cohesive dressing room. And credit for the dressing room harmony should undoubtedly go to the current squad’s longest-serving players.
Today, we will take a look at five players in the current Juventus squad who chose to stick with the club through thick and thin, giving the Bianconeri the stability they needed. Here are the
5 longest-serving players in the current Juventus squad
#5 Juan Cuadrado (since July 1, 2017)
Juan Cuadrado is one of those unique players who can be instrumental in both attack and defense. Premier League club Chelsea did not have the patience to nurture the potential he possessed. Juventus, fortunately, made no such mistakes and have allowed him to showcase his unmatched versatility.
Before signing permanently for the Italian club, Cuadrado spent two years on loan in Turin, learning the ropes from some of the best in the business. Despite doing fairly well during that stint, Chelsea refused to keep him, which allowed Juventus to sign the Colombian for €20 million in 2017. The player who can play as a right-back, right-mid, or right-wing, has already made over 200 appearances for the club, registering 19 goals and 54 assists.
#4 Alex Sandro (since August 20, 2015)
Juventus always seem to be on the lookout for versatile players, and Alex Sandro, who is capable of playing as a left-back, left-midfielder, or a left-winger, fits the bill perfectly. His impressive blend of attack and defense pleased Juventus, and the Bianconeri did not hesitate to confirm his signing in the summer of 2015.
Lauded as one of the best left-backs in Italy, Sandro is a quick, offensive-minded player who is also a mean tackler of the ball. Sandro was a regular in Allegri’s last stint at Juventus and we expect him to retain his place in the team in the 2021-22 campaign.
Signed for €26 million on a five-year contract, Sandro has already made 232 appearances for Juventus, scoring 13 goals and providing 29 assists.
#3 Paulo Dybala (since July 1, 2015)
Not many players in history have managed to generate the hype that Paulo Dybala did when he joined Juventus back in 2015. The budding star of Palermo joined Juventus on a five-year deal for a reported fee of €32 million, all geared up to catch Europe and Italy by storm.
In his initial matches, Dybala quite comfortably lived up to the hype. The Argentina international managed to score six goals and provide two assists in his opening 15 games. By registering a goal every 151 minutes, the then-number 21 at Juventus managed to outdo Carlos Tevez and Alessandro Del Piero’s returns in their respective debut seasons. He ended his debut season with 19 goals and 7 assists, which was more than satisfactory in Juve's books.
The Juventus forward’s best season came in the 2017-18 season, when he emerged as the club’s primary goalscoring outlet with 22 goals in 34 appearances. The attacker has lost a bit of momentum in recent seasons but we believe he still has the quality to become this Juventus team’s frontman.
#2 Leonardo Bonucci (2010-2017, Since August 2, 2018)
Italy has produced some of the finest defenders in history, and Leonardo Bonucci, who has been a pillar of strength for Juventus and the Italian national team, is no exception. After an exceptional spell between 2010 and 2017, Bonucci surprisingly moved to AC Milan in the summer of 2017. However, he “came to his senses” after just a season with the Rossoneri, and moved back to Turin in 2018.
Bonucci is known for his exceptional leadership, firm tackles, and ability to read the game. The 34-year-old is not the quickest defender out there, but can very easily take the ball off highly-rated speedsters. Over his two spells with the Bianconeri, Bonucci has played 442 games for the club, winning eight Serie A titles and four Coppa Italia trophies.
#1 Giorgio Chiellini (since July 1, 2005)
Juventus captain extraordinaire Giorgio Chiellini sits at the summit and deservedly so. The Italian centre-back is not only one of the finest defenders of this era, but he has also been Juventus’s messiah for more than 15 years.
Chiellini was technically co-owned by Juventus in 2004-05, but the Bianconeri were not willing to bet on him right away. He was sent on loan to his other owner, Fiorentina, for the season. After seeing him put in an excellent shift for Fiorentina, Juventus paid the remaining sum and brought him to Turin for a total of €7.3 million. He was immediately made a part of the starting XI and helped the team to their 29th Scudetto. The Calciopoli scandal robbed Juventus of the title, of course, but he did not abandon the club in their weakest spell.
Instead, he stood firm and led Juventus out of the darkness. Since then, he has won nine Serie A titles with Juventus, making 444 league appearances. The UEFA Champions League is the only title missing from his illustrious trophy cabinet and he will do everything in his power to complete the collection this season.
