Ranking Juventus' 2014 Summer Transfer Window Signings on Last Season's Efforts
There is little denying the success enjoyed by Juventus in 2014/15, with Massimiliano Allegri guiding the club to their most impressive campaign in recent memory, narrowly missing out on what would have been a remarkable treble.
A league and cup double—only the third in their 118-year history—as well as a place in the Champions League final still undoubtedly represents a huge leap forward for the Bianconeri. The club appears intent on improving next term, already adding the likes of Sami Khedira and Paulo Dybala to the squad. According to BBC Sport, Juve completed the signing of Mario Mandzukic from Atletico Madrid on Monday, too.
Much of Allegri’s accomplishments were clearly due to the excellent side he inherited, but the coach was not the only new arrival in Turin last summer. The club added five new faces over the course of July and August, with some settling instantly among Juve’s most important players as the season unfolded.
Others did not fare quite so well, and over the following pages we take a look back at the debut campaigns of those five, ranking each of them in order of their contribution to the team's season.
5. Romulo
1 of 5
Appearances: 5
Goals: 0
Assists: 0
Signed on August 2 to offer cover in a variety of positions, Juve’s official website shows they paid €1 million for Romulo’s initial season-long loan, also agreeing an option to purchase the Brazilian outright at the end of the 2014/15 campaign for €6 million.
Before that, he had enjoyed a superb season with Hellas Verona, weighing in with six goals and eight assists as he helped the newly promoted side to an impressive 10th-place finish in Serie A. Clearly aware of the leap he had made, Romulo told reporters upon his arrival in Turin that he would do all he could to help the Bianconeri succeed (h/t Forza Italian Football):
"I’m very happy to join a winning team, it’s a dream come true.
I’ve made plenty of sacrifices to get to where I am today and I will keep fighting to help Juventus continue their winning run. I’ll give all I’ve got for the club, my team-mates and the city.
"
He would make his debut for the Bianconeri in their Champions League win over Malmo in September, making his league bow just four days later against Milan. Sadly, after only being on the pitch for a combined seven minutes over those two appearances, Romulo would be ruled out for a month after needing surgery on a sports hernia, per Ben Gladwell of ESPN.
His return would come in the 7-0 thrashing of Parma in early November, Allegri handing him his first start, only for the player to suffer yet another injury. The club noted here that they had sent Romulo back to Brazil for a further operation, and he would not make another contribution until late May.
Given two starts after Juventus had already won the Serie A title, he made very little impact in his first season with the club, and he may not be given a second.
4. Kingsley Coman
2 of 5
Appearances: 15
Goals: 1
Assists: 2
After his contract with Paris Saint-Germain expired, Kingsley Coman was acquired on a free transfer, signing a five-year deal with the Bianconeri back on July 7. He had played in the French capital since 2004, becoming the club’s youngest-ever player when he made his Ligue 1 debut at the age of 16 against Sochaux on 17 February 2013.
Yet he would make just two brief substitute appearances in the following season, leading to his decision to not agree to extend his stay. Allegri started Coman in the first match of the Serie A campaign, meaning he had already played more minutes for the Bianconeri than he had for PSG, and the striker would continue to contribute throughout the year.
Clearly, with the likes of Carlos Tevez, Fernando Llorente and Alessandro Matri around, playing time was always going to be limited, but Coman managed a total of seven starts. He would net his first goal in January’s 6-1 thrashing of Hellas Verona, and he added two assists in 2014/15, showing marked improvement along the way.
His immediate future appears in some doubt, with L’Equipe reporting he may spend next season on loan with Palermo, Lille or Saint-Etienne (h/t Forza Italian Football). A move might be best for his development, but Coman can reflect on a solid first season with Turin’s grand Old Lady.
3. Roberto Pereyra
3 of 5
Appearances: 45
Goals: 6
Assists: 4
Roberto Pereyra arrived at Juventus on July 25, agreeing to a season-long loan from Udinese at a cost of €1.5 million, with the Turin club’s website declaring they have the option to make the deal permanent this summer for a further €14 million.
It is difficult to imagine them not taking up that deal, the Argentinian utility man surpassing all expectations in an excellent debut campaign. His arrival was widely criticised—including in this previous column—but Pereyra would make any doubts over his ability look hugely misplaced as he became an important member of the squad.
His on-the-ball running at opponents added a new dimension to an attack that often looked stale without him, although the 24-year-old needs to work on his finishing. Indeed, despite regularly beating defenders, statistics from Squawka.com show that Pereyra found the target with just 43 percent of his attempts on goal in 2014/15.
Usually deployed in an advanced role behind the strikers, Pereyra also filled in as a central midfielder and even as a wing-back this term. As Juventus strengthen their squad this summer, he may find himself used to a lesser extent in the future, but the former River Plate star made a valuable contribution in his first year.
2. Patrice Evra
4 of 5
Appearances: 29
Goals: 1
Assists: 3
Surplus to requirements at Old Trafford, Patrice Evra was sold to Juventus on July 23 for an initial €1.2 million, with the club website showing the Bianconeri would pay an additional €300,000 after they qualified for the Champions League in 2015/16.
Initially sharing playing time as wing-back with Kwadwo Asamoah, an injury to the Ghanaian saw Evra make the position his own before Allegri opted to switch to an orthodox back four. Back in a more familiar role, the Frenchman shone, quickly becoming an integral member of the side and ensuring the change in formation was a success.
He also—alongside Carlos Tevez, Gigi Buffon and Andrea Pirlo—established himself as one of the leaders of the dressing room, an experienced and influential figure in a squad that lacked Champions League experience.
Evra was vital in Juve’s run to the final of that competition, his impact making him one of the club’s most astute signings in recent seasons.
1. Alvaro Morata
5 of 5
Appearances: 40
Goals: 15
Assists: 5
Alvaro Morata joined the Bianconeri from Real Madrid for a fee of €20 million, with the Juventus website revealing that the Spanish giants have the option to buy the player back in the summer of 2016 or 2017.
It took him some time to settle, but once he did, Morata supplanted Fernando Llorente in the starting line-up and became an instrumental figure in the team’s success this season. Goals against Real Madrid and Barcelona saw him join Arjen Robben as the only man to score in both legs of a Champions League semi-final and then net in the subsequent final.
"2 - Morata is the second player to score in both semi-final legs and the final in a single #UCL season after Robben in 2012/13. Occasion.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) June 6, 2015"
Playing with incredible maturity, the 22-year-old earned a place in Vicente del Bosque’s Spain squad as a result of his performances for the Bianconeri, and he would score his first goal for his country against Ukraine in March.
“I owe a lot to Juventus because it’s thanks to what I did there and the help of my team-mates that I’m here today with the national team,” Morata told a recent press conference. “My only objective and what excites me most is to play with Juventus at a high level in order to keep my place in the national team.”
With Carlos Tevez seemingly moving on and a number of other new strikers arriving at the club, La Madama will hope he does just that next season, but Alvaro Morata is undoubtedly the best of Juve’s summer 2014 transfer deals.
All statistics taken from WhoScored.com unless otherwise stated.
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