4 Juventus Players Whose Stock Tumbled in 2015/16 Season

There were few reasons for Juventus fans to criticise their team this season, having watched them set a new club record for consecutive league wins on their way to clinching an impressive domestic double.

That saw them repeat feat they also managed last term, with captain Gigi Buffon—who set a new league-high with 10 consecutive clean sheets—among those who performed superbly throughout the campaign. 

The veteran goalkeeper was protected superbly by key defender Leonardo Bonucci, while Paul Pogba and Paulo Dybala each led the team to numerous victories with their devastating attacking prowess.

Yet coach Massimiliano Allegri's squad also contained a number of underperforming players and what follows—in no particular order—is a closer look at four men whose stock tumbled over the course of the 2015/16 campaign.

Roberto Pereyra

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There was little doubt that Roberto Pereyra was a vital member of the Juventus team in 2014/15, playing behind the strikers in his debut campaign with the club.

Having moved from Udinese ahead of that campaign, his speed on the ball and direct approach offered a fresh impetus to the Bianconeri attack.

Bringing a sharpness none of his midfield colleagues possessed, coach Massimiliano Allegri's 4-3-1-2 formation clearly brought the best from the Argentina international.

This term has not gone so well however, with Pereyra failing to reach that same high standard and struggling to find space in the side all year.

Making just nine league starts, the 25-year-old suffered with injuries but failed to score a single goal and registered just one assist. With players such as Alex Sandro and Juan Cuadrado ahead of him, Pereyra fell down the pecking order and is no longer held in the same high regard he once was.

Kwadwo Asamoah

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Much like Pereyra, Kwadwo Asamoah missed a significant amount of the season with injuries and also saw other members of the squad move ahead of him in coach Allegri's plans as the campaign progressed.

While Mario Lemina blossomed following his summer move from Olympique de Marseille and became a reliable option in midfield, Asamoah would make just six Serie A starts and feature for just 567 minutes of league action in 2015/16.

The presence of Patrice Evra and Alex Sandro means there is also little chance of featuring in the left wing-back role that Asamoah once held, making his current place in the squad difficult to understand.

Martin Caceres

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If injury curtailed the impact of Asamoah and Pereyra, it was only a small part of the reason Juventus defender Martin Caceres' reputation took a significant hit this season, and he now appears set to leave Turin.

While a torn Achilles tendon ended his involvement on the field early, the Uruguay international was suspended back in September for a “gross violation of his responsibilities as a Juventus player, as well as damaging the image of the club,” according to their official website.

The ANSA news agency and La Gazzetta dello Sport reported that it stemmed from a drink-driving incident (h/t ESPN FC), and that seems to have brought Caceres' time with Juventus to an end as the club’s director general explained recently.

“I don’t know if Caceres will go to Napoli,” Beppe Marotta said in an interview last month (h/t Football Italia). “He’s out of contract and at this moment he’s free to find an agreement with whoever he wants to.”

Hernanes

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While the others on this list can at least partially attribute their demise to fitness issues, Hernanes was simply a player who never found his best form. 

According to their official website, Juve paid €11 million to bring the 30-year-old to the club back in August, which in hindsight now looks to be a wholly regrettable decision.

Expected to bring some much-needed creativity to the Bianconeri midfield, Hernanes—who made 14 league appearances—contributed just one goal and one assist, looking far off the pace whenever he took to the field. 

The Brazil native was repeatedly caught in possession and looked generally unimpressive in an error-riddled campaign, making it difficult to understand how he fits into Allegri's plans for next season.