Juventus Will Thrive Whether Paul Pogba Moves to Manchester United or Not

Depending on which reports you choose to believe, it should only be a matter of days before Paul Pogba's widely discussed return to Manchester United becomes official. 

According to transfer expert Gianluca Di Marzio (translated on his own website here by David Amoyal) on July 28, details of the world record €110 million deal should be made public "within a few hours."

Pogba himself has already begun to capitalise on the increased attention he has received, as the advert below clearly shows. Yet while supporters of the Old Trafford giants look forward to his arrival, fans of Juventus should not be too worried about the team he seems set to leave behind.

An already strong group of players has been reinforced by a fantastic transfer campaign. The Bianconeri have made some stellar acquisitions throughout the side that should see them continue to thrive in 2016/17.

Chief among them, of course, has been the capture of Napoli striker Gonzalo Higuain earlier this week, as Juve's official website revealed they had paid a club record €90 million for the striker. Signing a five-year contract, the Argentina international will be expected to help the Old Lady mount a serious challenge for UEFA Champions League glory.

However, the 28-year-old will not be short of help. Juventus have also completed deals for Barcelona star Dani Alves and loaned Medhi Benatia from Bayern Munich, both of whom will provide cover to the club's already excellent defence.

Yet it is perhaps the signings of Miralem Pjanic and Marko Pjaca that will galvanise the Bianconeri faithful most of all, as the two new arrivals give coach Massimiliano Allegri a plethora of tactical options in midfield.

Pjanic weighed in with 10 goals and 12 assists in Serie A for Roma last season, while statistics courtesy of WhoScored.com show that he averaged 1.4 tackles and 1.5 interceptions in his 33 league appearances.

Serie A 2015/16

As the graphic above highlights, those numbers compare favourably with Pogba. The tactical intelligence and speed across the pitch of Pjanic mean that he could easily deputise for the Frenchman in that same role.

While it seems unlikely, if an exit did fail to materialise for Pogba, there is little doubt the two men could play together in a three-man midfield. Pjanic may well be asked to step into the central role, particularly with Claudio Marchisio set to miss the opening few months of 2016/17.

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In April, Juve’s official website announced that the 30-year-old Italy international had undergone successful surgery to repair the damage but would not return to competitive action until at least October.

Who Scored's figures show that Marchisio connected with 88.5 percent of his 63.5 pass attempts per game in Serie A last term, and the same source noted that he ranked 13th among all players in the division for completed efforts.

Pjanic was 10th, as Who Scored showed he connected with 84.9 percent of his 65.5 passes per game. The video below showcases how effective he was at retaining possession, a vital skill in European competition:

Sami Khedira will continue to bring a wealth of experience to the side, and his ability to exploit space will be vital in helping Juventus create scoring opportunities against the very toughest opponents. The German international enjoyed a fruitful first season with the Bianconeri, weighing in with five goals and four assists to help seal their richly deserved domestic double.

The obvious issue for the 29-year-old was his on-going injury concerns, however. Khedira made just 20 Serie A appearances last term, as a variety of knocks affected his ability to contribute more regularly.

But even with the former Real Madrid midfielder and Marchisio absent simultaneously for long stretches, Allegri was able to deploy some high-quality reserves and ensure his side maintained their ultimately successful title challenge.

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While bagging two goals, Mario Lemina was most adept when asked to protect the Bianconeri defence. According to figures from Who Scored, last term saw the Gabon international average 2.3 tackles and 1.8 interceptions per outing. He also completed 2.2 take-ons and 46.3 passes per game over his 13 appearances in all competitions, proving to be yet another superb acquisition for the Italian champions.

The performances of Lemina and Stefano Sturaro were undoubtedly factored into Simone Padoin's exit this summer.

The veteran midfielder had been with the Bianconeri since January 2012—winning five Serie A titles—but has recently joined newly promoted Cagliari on a free transfer.

Another new face has arrived to replace him, as Juventus signed Pjaca earlier this month. In a statement on their official website, Juve revealed that they had paid €23 million to sign the 21-year-old winger from Dinamo Zagreb.

Having already caught the eye there, the Croatia international also used UEFA Euro 2016 to showcase the kind of promise that could make him a star over the next few seasons. A rare start in the final group-stage clash with Spain provided him with an opportunity to display his talent, as the FourFourTwo StatsZone graphic below illustrates.

Pjaca took one shot, created one clear scoring opportunity and won one tackle, but it was his dribbling that most caught the eye, as he completed an impressive seven of his eight attempted take-ons to leave defenders constantly chasing shadows.

Able to cut in from the left wing or play behind the strikers with equal aplomb, his versatility encapsulates just what this team can be with or without Pogba once the 2016/17 campaign gets underway. It seems Allegri too is happy with the situation, using a press conference in Hong Kong to address the moves the club has made to reinforce his side so far this summer.

"Higuain is a great signing for us, as are all the other new arrivals. The club is doing an excellent job on the market, and I have complete faith in the work of the directors," the coach said. "Our team is very competitive, but winning is never an easy task, so we'll have to work hard to reach our objectives."

Indeed, Juventus boast a fine collection of midfielders who can be deployed in a variety of formations, meaning that the Old Lady will be just fine if the Frenchman decides to leave Turin and return to Manchester.