3 Juventus Players Who Are Fighting for Their Futures in 2015/16

The complete overhaul of the Juventus squad this past summer has drawn huge interest, with the far-reaching changes seeing the Bianconeri endure a difficult start to the new campaign, as they lost both of their first two fixtures.

Yet there is undoubtedly a bright future ahead for this new-look team, with the average age of the squad having dropped considerably. Coach Massimiliano Allegri believes that bodes well for the coming seasons, telling RAI Sport (h/t Football Italia) that the club “are building a Juve that can have a future for the next four or five years.”

There is clearly huge promise in the Old Lady’s youngsters, with the likes of Daniele Rugani, Stefano Sturaro and Paul Pogba needing no introduction, but there are a number of players for whom the current season could prove hugely significant.

Over the following pages is a look at three members of the Juventus squad who are fighting for their futures in 2015/16.

Simone Padoin

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A fringe player since arriving in Turin, Simone Padoin was thrust into a major role in the early part of this season due to the injuries that beset the Bianconeri. Allegri started him in the centre of midfield in the losses to Udinese and Roma, with deficiencies in the skill set of the 31-year-old becoming fully exposed.

Clearly unable to impact either match, Padoin was subsequently dropped from Juve’s Champions League squad, per the club’s official website. While that shows great belief in the likes of Mario Lemina and Stefano Sturaro, it also forces the former Atalanta man into even more of a marginalised role.

Padoin will need to show he can still make a positive contribution over the coming months if he is to continue to be a Juventus player.

Juan Cuadrado

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There is little reason to doubt the ability of Juan Cuadrado, as the Colombia international proved his quality over a three-year spell with Fiorentina. He made a particularly impressive impact in his final 18 months with La Viola, weighing in with 15 goals and nine assists over that period while displaying great versatility.

Playing as a wing-back, an orthodox winger or even as part of a front two, the 27-year-old caught the eye of Chelsea, and the Premier League giants paid an initial fee of £23.3 million to bring him to Stamford Bridge back in January.

Yet he struggled to find space under Jose Mourinho, making just 15 appearances and failing to score or create a single goal during what proved to be an ill-fated stay.

Juventus have now taken him on loan, and Cuadrado will hope to prove that the problem was Chelsea and their manager rather than any shortcomings of his own.

Simone Zaza

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While the signings of Paulo Dybala and Alex Sandro caught the headlines, it must not be forgotten that Juventus also spent no less than €18 million to bring Simone Zaza over from Sassuolo.

The 24-year-old striker impressed during his time there, netting 20 goals in 64 Serie A appearances for the Neroverdi. Yet he has much to prove in Turin, particularly following the exits of Kingsley Coman and Fernando Llorente, which left Zaza as one of only four forwards available to Massimiliano Allegri.

Mario Mandzukic, Alvaro Morata and Dybala are all likely to feature ahead of him, meaning the former Sampdoria man will find playing time difficult to come by. Indeed, while he featured for Antonio Conte’s Italy during the recent international break, Zaza has yet to play a competitive minute for the Bianconeri.

When that opportunity presents itself, he will need to seize it quickly and prove that he does indeed belong in such surroundings, a matter discussed in further detail in this previous column.