Juventus: Is Andrea Agnelli Right to Say Juventus Are a Pit Stop for the Elite?

Has everyone caught their breath?

Juventus team president Andrea Agnelli's words sent everyone in a frenzy last week, when he claimed the team could lose French midfield star Paul Pogba to a hypothetical foreign rival should a massive bid come in (per Goal.com).

Twitter went crazy.

Articles about Arsenal's and Chelsea's reported interest started popping up. Players and analysts gave their views on the matter. Pogba pledged his allegiance to the Bianconeri, but the British media had already picked up the story.

And when those guys get involved, all hell breaks lose.

Fans questioned Agnelli's sanity and his choice to openly invite teams to make offers for Juve's most talented young prospect. More specifically, the team's fan base was upset with one particular statement:

"

Italy is no longer a final destination, it’s a transition destination.

"

Of course, the man has a point.

The Serie A has lost lots of its star power in recent years and is a far cry from the league that dominated world football during the '90s. The league's infrastructure is no longer up to standards, the financial crisis hit Italy particularly hard and several scandals have really harmed the Serie A's image.

It's safe to say Italy is no longer a prime destination for the elite player. But can the same be said for Agnelli's team, the mighty Juventus?

Agnelli is notorious for underselling his product.

Last week's statements were the last in a long line of attempts to quell expectations, and it's something fans are starting to get used to. During every transfer window, he spends most of his time informing fans the team doesn't have the resources to attract top players, only to sign said players a week later.

Antonio Conte's side is built around smart, veteran signings and chemistry in the locker room. Over the last two years, the team has done an excellent job of identifying transfer targets and sticking with players who fit the system. Fans might be teased with big names once every while, but that simply isn't Conte's style.

As for Juve's status as a transition destination, the evidence seems to suggest otherwise.

Since the Calciopoli years, the team has had a handful of players who were either on an elite level or had the potential to one day reach that level. Gianluigi Buffon, Giorgio Chiellini, Andrea Pirlo, Arturo Vidal and Paul Pogba are the players that come to mind. 

Each and every one of those players has been linked with a move away from the Old Lady in just about every single transfer window since.

None of them have left the team.

Pirlo might be the first to go, as early as January, but at 34 years of age, he is well past his prime and no longer a piece that Conte can build around.

The last world-class player to leave the team would be Zlatan Ibrahimovic, one of many that left a team facing demotion to the Serie B in the wake of Calciopoli in 2006. Since then, the only players to leave the Bianconeri were simply no longer part of the team's long-term plans.

Does that mean Paul Pogba is a lock to remain in Turin for life?

Of course not.

Things move fast in football, and there are some teams out there with virtually unlimited funds. Juve are a storied club with a massive fanbase, but in today's game, everyone is for sale.

But to suggest that Juventus would be a transition destination is simply not true. The Bianconeri are a team very much on the rise with players that have so far stuck with what Coach Conte has built. If Paul Pogba is in the team's long-term plans, Agnelli should not be worried the player might have other plans.

Pogba didn't come to Turin in order to boost his value. He came to win, and that's exactly what the team has done.

And as we all know, winning cures everything.

Need more Juventus? Be sure to hit me up on Twitter @ DeKleineBelg!