Scouting Juventus Transfer Target Andre Gomes

As Juventus and their fans revel in the Bianconeri's record-tying fifth consecutive Scudetto, the champions of Italy are likely already looking ahead to what the summer transfer window may bring.

There are several areas the Bianconeri may end up needing to strengthen this summer.  Versatile defender Martin Caceres, who will almost certainly be leaving when his contract expires, will need replacing.  Right-back is a place of need as well, as the club will require a backup for—and eventual successor to—32-year-old stalwart Stephan Lichtsteiner.

Depending on what happens with Alvaro Morata's buyback clause, they may end up needing to pick up a striker as well.  And of course there is the ever-present desire for an attacking midfielder, something coach Massimiliano Allegri has been asking for since the end of last season.

But among Juve's most pressing needs is one that they weren't expecting to have—nor did they until a week ago when Claudio Marchisio tore his right ACL in the 4-0 win over Palermo.

Marchisio will be out for six months, which means Juve will need to cover for him in the vital regista position until October at least.  There are internal options to do so.  Hernanes has failed to be the trequartista he was signed to be last summer, but he has proved a capable backup for the Italy international in times of need.  Allegri has also given Olympique Marseille loanee Mario Lemina a chance at the role.

Whether Hernanes is the guy or not remains to be seen.  Juve ought to pick up the option on Lemina's loan, but his skill set projects more as a box-to-box mid in the mold of Arturo Vidal than a deep-lying playmaker.

Juve have their eye on the market to fill this need—and perhaps another in one fell swoop.  The player in their sights?  Valencia's Andre Gomes.

La Gazetta dello Sport first reported (h/t Football Italia) Gomes as a possibility to replace Juve's stricken vice-captain on Friday.  

By Sunday, the newspaper claimed (h/t Football Italia) that the Old Lady had already got their man, agreeing to buy the Portugal international for between €25 million and €30 million.

Juventus have seen Gomes before.  When he was at Benfica he started the first leg of the 2013-14 UEFA Europa League semi-final between the two teams, where he effectively played as the fulcrum of the midfield in a 4-4-2.  

According to WhoScored.com, he completed 85.7 percent of his passes in that match, including seven of seven long balls, and pitching in four tackles and two interceptions.  He was so effective during that tournament that he was named to its all-star team after the Portuguese giants lost to Sevilla in the final.

He was suspended for the second leg due to yellow-card accumulation, but it was a good display of his skills—and one that Juve obviously remembered.

Since then his game has changed.  The defensive performance he turned in that day seems to be an outlier—defense isn't a particular strength in his game, although he can poke the ball free on occasion.

Manuel Queimadelos Alonso/Getty Images

Gomes makes his money with the ball at his feet.  WhoScored clocks him at 81.4 percent pass accuracy between La Liga and European competition this season.  That passing ability will serve him well if he is to become the fill-in for Marchisio at the beginning of next year.  Accurate passing is the No. 1 requirement for a regista—and Gomes certainly brings it.

When Marchisio is able to return, Gomes won't become dead weight.  He's versatile enough to play anywhere along the midfield—and he may just be the kind of player that Allegri has been looking for to play in the hole of his preferred 4-3-1-2 formation.

Gomes is perfectly suited to the role, mainly due to his superlative dribbling skills.  As can be seen in the video accompanying this article, the 22-year-old can turn with the ball on a dime—and turn defenders inside out.

He uses those magic feet to free himself up to make the final pass to a teammate or, as he did against Zenit St. Petersburg in the UEFA Champions League this year, finish the chance himself.  This year he's tied for 11th in La Liga in average completed dribbles per match.

The search for a trequartista has been ongoing since Allegri started mixing in the 4-3-1-2 last year during the Champions League group stage.  

Last season, Vidal was employed there with mixed success.  Roberto Pereyra had the chance to make the spot his own this season, but he has missed so much time after suffering a leg injury in October that it's fair to wonder how many more opportunities he's going to get.

If Gomes were to be added to the dribbling skills of Paul Pogba and Paulo Dybala, the effect on Juve's attack would be immense.  

The Bianconeri are often confronted with a parked bus against Serie A's weaker teams, making a player that can break down a defender individually invaluable.  That kind of ability is also hugely important in Europe, an arena Juve are targeting with increasing focus to cement their return to the continent's elite.

Gomes is incredibly talented, and he doesn't turn 23 until July.  There is still a lot of room for his game to develop, but when he's done he could join the top echelon of attacking midfielders.  He could be one of the missing ingredients to make Juve's attack elite on all levels—and a worthy buy.