EXCLUSIVE: Juve's plan to rival Europe's Elite, plot new bid for Gundogan
Juventus's winter transfer plans aren't just exciting times for young Italian talent. They also point to the club's long-term strategy to compete with Europe's Elite.
The trio of Andrea Agnelli, Giuseppe Marotta and Fabio Paratici have a plan to take the Old Lady further than last year's Champions League. It's about competing with the likes of Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Manchester United, clubs whose prestige goes beyond their economic means, or indeed their results.
This begins with working on the club's branding, by launching the J-Medical and J-Village facilities, who should boost the club's finances along with the opening of a number of luxury restaurants and hotels all over the world.
From a footballing perspective, the club needs to be able to compete, something only apparently in contradiction with Juventus' plans to bring in young Italian players.
How? By setting up a scouting structure that will find the new Paul Pogbas before anyone else does. Selling them should allow the club to have the liquidity to make big splashes on the market. They don't want to let the next Verratti slip away, as they did back in 2012.
It's about finding the New Gabbiadinis and the New Comans too, players that the club invests in only to sell on because they may not exactly fit the club. The Old Lady is set to make a healthy chunk of change from both.
What about the current window? We can reveal that Marotta's plans have Juventus making another bid for Ilkay Gundogan by the end of the month. Though his work has been focussed more on bringing in Mandragora, Sensi, Trotta and Bonazzoli, the former Sampdoria Sporting Director still has his sights on that big home run...
@NicolaBalice, translated by @EdoDalmonte
