'%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 spent a whopping £231m on players in the summer, and despite their best efforts to breakeven, they only managed to make around £89m from players sold - with many of the old guard leaving on free transfers (Claudio Marchisio, Gianluigi Buffon, and Stephan Lichtsteiner).
This could mean that they're now set to face some issues regarding financial fair play regulations, but if the club can make back the majority of their expenses through external profits like merchandise, ticket fees, etc., they should be in the clear, allowing them to bring in even more players in January.
Some might argue that there's not a great deal left to add to Juventus' current squad, especially when you consider how well they're doing in the league; the Old Lady currently sit in 1st place on 53 points, nine whole points ahead of Napoli in second.
However, that hasn't stopped widespread speculation regarding possible transfers; so in this list, we'll take a look at five players Juventus have been linked with for January and determine just how probable they are.
#5 Juan Mata (Manchester United)
Juan Mata is a 30-year-old attacking midfielder who plays for Manchester United in the Premier League. He has also featured for Spain's national team, having made 41 appearances since his debut back in March 2009.
Mata is a product of Real Madrid's youth academy, where he rose through the ranks over the span of three years, before making the switch to Real Madrid Castilla (Madrid's B team).
However, within a year Mata was transferred to Valencia on a free. Here is where he rose to prominence, consolidating his position in Valencia's set-up over the years and showcasing to the world what he was capable of.
This caught the attention of Chelsea, amongst other Premier League clubs, who jumped at the opportunity to sign him in the summer of 2011 for around £25m. He made 34 appearances in his first season for the Blues under Jose Mourinho, scoring six times.
He would continue his great form over the next couple of seasons, before deciding to jump ship, joining Manchester United in January 2014 for around £40m. Louis van Gaal was the United manager at the time.
With Juan Mata's contract set to expire next June, could he be heading to Juventus?
Rumour probability: 5/10
According to Calciomercato.com, both Juventus and Arsenal are fighting for the Spaniard's signature right now. Mata had played under Unai Emery at Valencia, which makes a switch to the Emirates all the more likely, but the prospect of joining a club as prestigious as Juventus could also be very tempting.
Because of this, Mata's next club could be anyone's guess. He hasn't said anything about the speculation as of writing, but we'll find out next month what he'll choose to do.
#4 Christian Eriksen (Tottenham Hotspur)
Christian Eriksen is a 26-year-old attacking midfielder who plays for Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League. He has also featured for Denmark's national team, having made 85 appearances since his debut in March 2010.
Eriksen began his career with Odense Boldklub Youth in Denmark, before being scouted and signed by Ajax. He spent a year in Ajax's U19 squad before being called up to the first team in January 2010.
From there, he excelled in the Eredivisie, showing just how much more advanced his footballing ability was compared to his peers, despite his young age. This prompted scouts from high-profile European clubs to keep a close eye on the youngster, and over the next few years, Eriksen's value soared.
By the summer of 2013, Eriksen was worth around £16m, yet Spurs managed to negotiate a deal that would see them sign him for just £12m. According to Transfermarkt, Eriksen's market value is now set at a staggering £72m.
Rumour probability: 5/10
Italian sports news outlet Tuttosport.com reported that Juventus are eyeing a move for Eriksen in January, with Arsenal's Aaron Ramsey also an option to plug the gaps in their midfield. Simply put, Juventus have struggled to replace Paul Pogba in the heart of their midfield, could Eriksen do just that?
Eriksen seems to be settled in London at the moment, so it's somewhat unlikely that he'll want to suddenly up and leave, but when a club like Juventus gives you that opportunity, it's understandably hard to resist.
#3 Nicolo Barella (Cagliari)
Nicolo Barella is a 21-year-old central midfielder who plays for Cagliari in Serie A. He has also featured for Italy's national team, having made four appearances since his debut in October 2018.
Barella was only really given a spot in the first team a season-and-a-half ago; before that, he wasn't thought of as anything other than a young kid with potential to play for the squad in the future. But since joining the first team, he's excelled in his midfield role, drawing attention from clubs all over Europe.
His market value rose from just £1m in 2016 to £27m, as of December 2018, according to Transfermarkt. It's likely that Cagliari will attempt to ask for higher when clubs inevitably hunt for his signature next month, given how crucial he is to their current set-up.
Rumour probability: 8/10
TalkSPORT reported back in November that Juventus had tabled a £30m bid for Barella after a long string of impressive performances for Cagliari. Barella's current club do not need to respond to the offer until the transfer window opens, which it seems like they're doing, leaving everybody in the dark.
With Liverpool also vying for the 21-year-old's signature, this could make things tricky for Juventus next month. However, with the Italian already adept with Serie A, a move to Juventus might be a more comfortable option than to take on the Premier League at such a tender age. He would likely be selected for the first team more often, too.
#2 Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal)
Aaron Ramsey is a 28-year-old central midfielder who plays for Arsenal in the Premier League. He has also featured for the Wales national team, having made 58 appearances since his debut in November 2008. Ramsey was also a part of Great Britain's Olympic Team back in the 2012 Olympics, playing four matches and scoring once.
Since graduating from Cardiff's youth academy in 2007, Ramsey only spent a year with them before being sold to Arsenal for around £5m. It was clear he was a player who showed great promise, and Arsenal reaped the benefits later on down the line by acting quicker than other interested clubs.
Ramsey had a couple of loan deals with Nottingham Forest and later with Cardiff before solidifying his place in Arsenal's first team, where he's remained ever since.
Rumour probability: 8/10
With Ramsey's contract set to expire at the end of the season, a move away seems the most likely outcome. The Daily Star have reported that Ramsey has agreed a deal to join Juventus in the summer, which doesn't come as much of a surprise, considering the prestige of Juventus, and how tempting that is.
But the Daily Star are one of the only few publications to have reported this, which leaves a question mark over the veracity of the claim. Ultimately, his future still hangs in the balance, with Paris Saint-Germain also interested in the Welshman.
#1 Mousa Dembele (Tottenham Hotspur)
Mousa Dembele is a 31-year-old central midfielder who plays for Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League. He has also featured for Belgium's national team, having made 82 appearances since his debut in May 2006.
Dembele progressed through several youth team clubs at the start of his career, before settling with Willem II in the summer of 2005. However, not even this lasted for very long, as the midfielder was highly sought after at the time, with clubs scrambling over each other for his signature. He moved to AZ Alkmaar in 2006, where he would stay for the next four years.
His performances earned him a move to the Premier League with Fulham, but the London-based club were struggling at the time, and were slipping closer to the foot of the table with each passing game. Dembele was seen as a diamond in the rough, though, and it would be Spurs who came to his rescue in the summer of 2012, agreeing a deal worth around £17m.
Dembele has shone for Spurs ever since, becoming an integral part of the first team. But now he's entered his 30s, will Dembele struggle in a league where physicality and pace grows stronger each season? Some might suggest that Serie A is a league more suited to his diminishing ability now.
Rumour probability: 7/10
The Guardian reported at the end of November that both Juventus and Inter Milan are interested in signing Dembele in January, especially now that the 31-year-old is slowly losing his place in the first team squad.
It would be a rational decision for Dembele to move elsewhere now, given his age and declining fitness levels, but there's a chance that he might stay in the Premier League with Spurs.
