Juventus: Which Players the Old Lady of Turin Should Buy This Summer

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The Old Lady of Turin has been in a retirement home for the last two seasons now. Her grasp on Italian football as the dominant force has slackened, and she has sunk to a lowly seventh in Serie A for two seasons in a row.

With her big stars entering the supernova stage of their careers(Alessandro Del Piero is 37, and Buffon and Quaglierella are injured) Juventus has fell short of challenging the likes of Inter Milan or AC Milan at the top.

There was a time when Juventus were unstoppable. When their biggest players were all-star names in their primes. But now? You can count the big names on one hand.

Some harsh truths must be faced over the summer, as Juventus must look to strengthen their armouries with players of a far higher quality and class than they already have. Anything below fourth place and Champion’s League qualification next season is simply unthinkable for such a footballing giant.

So can the Old Lady be revived? Can she be brought back to her prime and reign as the Queen of Italian Football once again?

Yes.

If the right players are bought this transfer window.

Giuseppe Rossi

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Giuseppe Rossi

Age: 24

Position: Striker

Why he would he rejuvenate Juventus:

Hailed as the potential heir to Alessandro Del Piero’s mighty throne as the talisman of the club, Rossi has youth and talent that he could nurture at the Old Lady. Playing alongside the likes of Del Piero and Gianluigi Buffon would surely inspire the fellow Italian and could see him flourish into one of the world's elite strikers. With a deal looking very close, this dream signing could very well become a reality...

Dimitar Berbatov

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Dimitar Berbatov

Age: 30

Position: Forward

Why he would rejuvenate Juventus:

With his position at Manchester United looking increasingly uncertain, a pounce for the Bulgarian would be a smooth move by Juventus. Berbatov’s style of play would suit the Italian League more so than it suits the Premier League. His tactical awareness and playmaking ability, when given time on the ball, would be the perfect missing link for the Old Lady. With what may be Del Piero’s last season at Juve, having him as well as Berbatov pulling the strings as puppet masters would be a nice combination.

Michel Bastos

LYON, FRANCE - AUGUST 07: Michel Fernandes Bastos of Olympique Lyonnais in action during the Ligue 1 match between Olympique Lyonnais and AS Monaco FC at Gerland Stadium on August 7, 2010 in Lyon, France. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)

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Michel Bastos

Age: 27

Position: Left back/Winger

Why he would rejuvenate Juventus:

The main area which Juventus are lacking true quality is in defence. The partnership between Chiellini and Bonucci hasn’t quite worked out as planned, as Juventus have conceded an unacceptable amount of goals this season (47 in total). Bastos would offer solidity at the back, but also flexibility when going forward too. Very much like a new-era Roberto Carlos, Bastos would be a great buy for the Bianconeri.

Lassana Diarra

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Lassana Diarra

Age: 26

Position: Defensive Midfielder

Why he would rejuvenate Juventus:

"Lass" is a great holding midfielder. A lot like his older brother, Mahamadou, he has the ability to pull the strings in midfield. The combination of Lassana Diarra and Andrea Pirlo in the middle of the park is a mouth watering prospect for, not just a Juventus fan, but any football fan. Since 2006, Juventus have severely missed a player like Diarra. When Patrick Viera and Emerson left the club, the spine of the team crumbled. Let’s just think of Diarra as the cod liver oil to these crumbled bones.

Gael Clichy

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Gael Clichy

Age: 25

Position: left back

Why he would rejuvenate Juventus:

With this move impossible now that Clichy has moved to Manchester City, it would be nice to think "what could have been." Once again, the main problem lies in the defense of Juventus and a strong left back is essential. Fabio Grosso is no longer producing the form he showed in the world cup all of those years ago. Clichy is versatile, fast and definitely capable of enhancing Juve’s backline. Although Bastos also plays in this position, Clichy could have had a more central role within the team.

Carlos Tevez

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Carlos Tevez

Age: 27

Position: forward

Why he would rejuvenate Juventus:

This is a bit of a long shot. With teams like Barcelona and Real Madrid sniffing around the Argentine, it is unlikely that he will go to a club which is on it’s death bed. Nevertheless though, the history and tradition behind Juventus is always capable of luring top name players to their ranks, no matter who else is interested. Tevez would be a great goal getter for a team which does not really possess a strong out and out striker since Fabio Quaglierella got injured mid-season. His strength is unsurpassed when on the ball and he would have the ability to muscle his way through a defense to get onto the end of a superb pass by either Del Piero or Berbatov. Let us only hope.

Sebastian Giovinco

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Sebastian Giovinco

Age: 22

Position: Forward

Why he would rejuvenate Juventus:

This last entry is a surprise one to say the least. Giovinco is bar far not as proven as the previous players mentioned in the list. But he is included nonetheless, and it is the potential he possesses that has earned him a place here.

Giovinco was never given a real chance at Juventus. His place in the team was never consistent or concrete. But when he did play, glimmers of genius and ability were displayed. His free kicks had been honed and mastered on the training ground alongside (you guessed it) Del Piero himself. His speed and ball control made it effortless for him to carve through defenses.

So why did Juventus let him go? Bring him back and give him a proper chance. Do you remember a young man who showed similar genius and talent back in 1993? Do you also remember how he managed to ease his way into a star studded team, evicting the one and only Roberto Baggio? And so the circle of time and life would begin again if Giovinco was to dethrone Alessandro Del Piero.