EXCLUSIVE: low-cost Juve after Tomovic and De Maio
It is hard to escape the conclusion that Juventus' shaky start to the season owes a lot to their summer transfer dealings. With legends like Andrea Pirlo and Arturo Vidal leaving Vinovo during the summer for pastures new, Director General Giuseppe Marotta and Director of Sport Fabio Paratici decided to base their strategy around reducing the team's average age.
Trouble is, the Old Lady has yet to find an identity, and the aformentioned summer campaign only had Coach Max Allegri's public backing. In private, however, the Livornese manager made his intentions clear after last week's disappointing 1-0 loss to Sassuolo: the time for experiments is over, the youngsters will have to wait their turn.
This U-turn looks set to have an impact on the Bianconeri's imminent transfer window, which was rife with speculation about the likes of Domenico Berardi and Diego Perotti. Now, however, Allegri wants players who can contribute immediately, and would ideally be low cost. Enter Ezequiel Lavezzi, though the defence is a bigger priority.
If Mehdi Benatia's name seems to fit Juventus' ambitions (something we've already reported) best in the long term, the side's short term needs don't seem to include Daniele Rugani, whose permanence is getting more and more unlikely by the day. To replace him, Allegri has asked for an experienced centre-back who is willing to be fourth in the Bianconeri pecking order.
This is why Juventus have resumed negotiations with Genoa over French defender Sebastian De Maio, who has all the tools Allegri likes. The talk is that the two clubs are talking about a loan with an option to buy, favourable conditions which underline just how friendly two of Italy's oldest football clubs are.
Another players set to be shown the door is Martin Caceres: with Stefan Lichtsteiner back, the right-back position is no longer an emergency, and Fenerbahce are after the former Sevilla utility man. With the Swiss international the obvious starter, spending €12-15 million on Sassuolo's Sime Vrsaljko may not be as appealing as bringing in a reliable player like Nenad Tomovic.
Vrsaljko's high price tag may lead the Bianconeri to give themselves six months' worth of breathing space, so as to consider other options, like AS Monaco's Fabinho.
Returning to Tomovic, he can play on both wings and is useful in the middle, too. His contract expires in 2016, something which makes him approachable, despite the bad blood between Juventus and Fiorentina.
Either way, Juventus look set to add depth to their squad. And it's likely to come cheap.
