Why Juventus Need to Address Midfield Issues in Final Week of Transfer Window

Juventus returned to action this past weekend, kicking off their 2015/16 campaign with a surprising loss against Udinese. That result—analysed in further detail here—was a poor start for a club looking to defend their position at the top of the Serie A table for a fifth consecutive season.

While it seemed like a match that would hint at the resumption of normal service in Turin, there is little doubt that the Bianconeri have undergone a tumultuous summer, suffering the loss of three players who featured prominently in their previous successes.

Indeed, it is impossible to imagine Massimiliano Allegri’s side lifting last season’s domestic double without Andrea Pirlo, Arturo Vidal and Carlos Tevez, a trio who were even more influential in the club’s march to June’s Champions League final in Berlin.

The loss may have convinced each of them that their time with the grand Old Lady of Italian football had reached a natural conclusion; she has now waited around in her search for a new hero. A plethora of new signings have arrived, with Mario Mandzukic and Paulo Dybala figuring foremost among them.

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Most were secured at the start of the summer, but director general Beppe Marotta has continued to work hard at rebuilding a new-look squad, with last week seeing Alex Sandro join the club. According to their official website, Juentus paid €26 million to land the Brazilian full-back, and he fills one of the last holes in the squad.

Aside from that position, it is arguable that midfield remains the only weak area in this reshaped group, with injuries to Sami Khedira and Claudio Marchisio emphasising a distinct lack of depth in the immediate future. The absence of Kwadwo Asamoah continues to compound that feeling, forcing Allegri to call upon the likes of Simone Padoin and Mauricio Isla.

While the former has proved to be dependable in the past, the display against Udinese highlighted exactly why the Juventus management team have repeatedly stated the need for additions in that area of the pitch.

“We still need to sign a midfielder who can play between the lines and the club is moving towards achieving this,” Allegri told reporters earlier this summer (h/t Forza Italian Football). Marotta was slightly more ambiguous, however, adding that the player “doesn't necessarily have to be unique, but his profile must be of the right calibre to play with Juventus,” per Football Italia.

Asked about Bayern Munich’s Mario Gotze and Julian Draxler of Schalke, the club official noted that he had “probed for them” but “never got to the real negotiations.” That pair have long been linked with the club, although La Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Football Italia) believe that Borussia Dortmund stars Henrik Mkhitaryan and Ilkay Gundogan remain more likely candidates.

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A new name emerged late last week, with Sky Sport Italia, SportItalia and Italy’s major sports newspapers claiming the Bianconeri are on the verge of signing Juan Cuadrado from Chelsea on loan, per Football Italia.

Believed to involve a €1.5 million fee for the 12-month deal, the Colombian arrived in Turin on Monday night and began his medical on Tuesday morning, per the club's official website. Yet, his arrival will do little to ease that previously discussed gap in the central area, and surely the search for further reinforcements cannot end there.

Just who else—if anyone—the club can sign over the last week of the window remains to be seen, but their needs were laid bare on Sunday, and a midfielder should be their top priority.