Juventus' Biggest Summer Transfer Window Priorities

With an unprecedented fourth consecutive Scudetto all but won, it's been an impressive few years in the league for Juventus.

But with several players nearing the end of their careers or attracting serious interest from abroad—and with European success still alluding them—this could well be a busy summer for the Bianconeri in the transfer market.

If Juve want to defend their predominance in Italy and make a real mark on the continent, Max Allegri and Giuseppe Marotta will need to start thinking how to add the final finishing touches to an already strong squad. 

Norberto Neto

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Gigi Buffon has proven that he's nowhere near finished yet, but it would be shortsighted of Juventus not to have one eye on the future.

The sooner a replacement can be found, the better, even if he isn't needed right now. For example, there are rumours in the UK—as per Ben Jefferson in the Express—that if Norberto Neto moves to Turin in the summer, he'll be allowed to leave on loan immediately. 

If the Brazilian chooses to go elsewhere, the Bianconeri aren't short on options with Serie A experience. Atalanta's Marco Sportiello has made more saves than anyone else in Italy's top flight this season, and at just 22, he's sure to get better. 

The other obvious option is Genoa's 22-year-old Mattia Perin, who earned his first cap for the Italian national team last year in a friendly against Albania. Perin has been tipped as Buffon's successor with the Azzurri for some time now, so he should be more than capable of taking over his goalkeeping duties for the Old Lady, too. 

Juve already co-own another young prospect, Nicola Leali. The Lombardian is currently at Cesena and has impressed, but he needs more time to prove himself worthy of replacing one of the all-time greats. 

The Next Carlos Tevez

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It's fair to say that Carlos Tevez had his doubters before moving to Juventus in 2013. Up to that point, the Argentine had been as famous for contract controversies and fights with managers as he was for scoring goals. 

In Italy, however, the 31-year-old settled perfectly and has proven to be a harmonious, inspirational influence in Turin rather than a fractious one. 

The club want to keep their star striker with the Bianconeri for years to come, but the player has made no secret of his desire to finish his career at Boca Juniors. It might be better for all parties to let him fulfil that dream and to find a replacement sooner rather than later. 

The Daily Star's Steve Miller isn't the only one linking Juve with a move for Stevan Jovetic. The former Fiorentina star is struggling to secure a place at the Etihad, and much like Tevez did two years ago, he could see the Turin giants as the perfect place to rediscover his best football. 

Juve tried to sign Jovetic as a teenager from Partizan Belgrade, but they declined to match the Viola's offer back in 2008. Now, they could conceivably get him at a bargain price—much like they did with Tevez—and gamble on him returning to his pre-England best. 

The Montenegrin has played just 32 times in all competitions for City—something he can't be happy about. The 25-year-old has the talent to be a central star at a major European club, but he is in danger of seeing his best years slip away from him on the bench. You get the feeling he'd relish proving his current employers wrong by excelling at another team—especially one that will be challenging for honours in the Champions League. 

Adding More Depth

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There's an abundance of options for Juve when Max Allegri has a fully-fit, well-rested squad. But as the recent home loss to Fiorentina in the Coppa Italia proved, it's difficult to always be at your best when you're competing on several fronts. 

The season thus far has been an impressive one. They've almost sewn up the league, they still have a chance to progress in the Coppa and they hold the advantage over Borussia Dortmund going into the second leg of the last-16 tie in the Champions League. But as injuries to the likes of Andrea Pirlo, mixed with fatigue, start to take their toll, those in charge in Turin will know that the wheels can come off a successful campaign very quickly. 

For evidence of that, they only need to look at what injuries and dips in form to key players did to their rivals Roma. 

This summer, Juve should work on finding viable long-term replacements for ageing stars like Pirlo and try to add more depth in key areas. Having too many players vying for position can be dangerous, but there's little doubt Allegri would like options when senior players like Giorgio Chiellini go off the boil.

Keeping What They Have

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A quick look at the latest transfer gossip speaks volumes about Juventus' biggest summer project: keeping hold of their best players.

Metro is linking Alvaro Morata with a move to Arsenal. Paul Pogba continues to be connected with moves to Europe's elite, and Sport (h/t Independent's David Hughes) provides just one example. And while rumours about Arturo Vidal being poached are nothing new, it might surprise Juventini to read that Calciomercato.com (in Italian) believes that the Chilean is about to move to Manchester United for just €20 million. 

It could be that letting one of their major players leave in a big money move this summer makes sense for Juve. The influx of cash would put them in an even stronger position to hold on to their other key figures—and with Kingsley Coman continually getting better, they might soon need to think about fighting off suitors for him, too. 

What Allegri and the board in Turin don't want to do, however, is to take their eye off the ball and end up losing more than one. At the moment it looks as if all of their best players are happy to remain with the Old Lady, but we've seen in recent years how easy it is for players to have their heads turned by interest from abroad, and Juve will need to work hard to keep everyone happy and motivated.