Juventus on Quest to Become Member of Champions League Elite

Asked about speculation linking two of his most high-profile players with summer moves to the Premier League, Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri left no doubt as to his opinion on the status of his club among their continental rivals.

“Anyone who has the opportunity to leave Juventus has to consider things very carefully, because right now Juventus are among the top four European clubs,” he told La Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Football Italia) in a recent interview.

That a man as media-savvy as Allegri chose those words speaks volumes about both the quality within his squad and the ambition of the Turin giants, who have spent this summer pushing to make his view a reality when the 2016/17 campaign gets underway.

With Miralem Pjanic and Dani Alves already on board, the Serie A champions completed a deal for Bayern Munich defender Medhi Benatia on Friday. According to a statement on Juve’s official website, they paid a fee of €3 million to bring the Morocco international to the club on a season-long loan.

It also revealed Juve have an option to sign the 29-year-old on a permanent basis for €17 million before May 30, 2017. Benatia will provide superb cover for an excellent back line that already boasts the likes of Andrea Barzagli, Alex Sandro, Giorgio Chiellini, Stephan Lichtsteiner and Patrice Evra.

With the Bianconeri having firmly established their domestic superiority, the signings are clearly part of a plan to contend for European silverware, as Allegri explained in an interview with JTV and the Juventus website earlier in July:

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Winning [a] sixth [consecutive] Scudetto is our primary objective this season, as well as having a good Champions League campaign. And when I say a good Champions League campaign, I mean our objective needs to be to go as far as possible and win it. That said, we need to take it steady, work every day and lay the foundations for a great season between now and 31 August, when the campaign gets underway.

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Another Serie A triumph would see Juve set a new record for consecutive titles, but from those words and their work in the transfer market, it is clear the Bianconeri are aiming higher.

While Alves and Benatia bring a wealth of experience, the Pjanic deal offered a first glimpse at their mindset. The Bosnia and Herzegovina international was arguably the best player and biggest asset AS Roma possessed, and the Old Lady signed him without any real discussion with the Giallorossi.

Pjanic had a €38 million release clause in his contract, with the capital club’s website revealing he triggered that himself, even handing over his 20 per cent share of the fee to reduce the cost by almost €7 million.

Roma have been Juve’s closest rivals in recent seasons, ending last term in third place after two consecutive second-place finishes. They will be severely weakened by this move, which has since been followed by news that has been even more surprising and which would have even deeper consequences.

Fabrizio Giovannozzi/Associated Press

As discussed in a previous post, Juventus have been strongly linked with a move for Napoli striker Gonzalo Higuain. According to Sky Italia and SportMediaset (h/t Football Italia), the Bianconeri have already agreed to terms with the striker, who has a €94 million release clause in his contract.

That could see the Old Lady once again rob a competitor of a high-profile player, yet they have no need to even enter into talks. Higuain was phenomenal last season, his record-breaking haul of 36 goals in 35 appearances helping Napoli to almost push the title race to the wire before eventually falling short after a string of disappointing results late in the campaign.

But without their Argentinian star, they would be much less competitive, allowing Juve to focus on their Champions League aspirations without having to really fight in Serie A. That is where Allegri’s comments about his own players' potential departures come back to the forefront of the discussion, as both Leonardo Bonucci and Paul Pogba have been identified as potential signings for other clubs.

Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images

The Italian defender was in superb form at UEFA Euro 2016, his performances for the Azzurri seeing him emerge as a wanted man in the transfer market, with both Manchester United and Manchester City reportedly interested.

Indeed, Michael Butler of the Guardian stated Bonucci is in Red Devils manager Jose Mourinho's “crosshairs." Back in March, Pep Guardiola told a post-match press conference that Bonucci is “one of [his] favourite-ever players.”

Jon Super/Associated Press

There has certainly been no shortage of interest in Pogba too, with Manchester United believed to be leading the race for his signature. However, Sky Italia (h/t Football Italia) reported recently that the Bianconeri are in a position to reject even a €120 million bid for the young French midfielder.

It must be noted the Old Trafford side are not in the Champions League this season, and Pogba’s agent has also surprisingly downplayed the speculation. During a recent interview with the Times (h/t FourFourTwo), Mino Raiola even noted there is a possibility the 23-year-old will simply sign an improved deal with the Bianconeri:

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There is a lot of talk about Paul's future, but maybe he will not leave Juventus. He is in no rush to leave, and Juventus do not want him to go. They want him to renew his contract. Paul is not desperate to move. We are very happy at Juventus and they are a club that want to keep their star players.

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While Pogba himself has been somewhat ambiguous about his future, Bonucci extended his contract with the club until 2020 last summer and has often spoken as if he intends to remain in Turin for many years to come.

“What motivates me is the thought of becoming a Juventus legend,” Bonucci told a press conference after a win over Palermo back in April, and the club may well be spending the summer providing him with a way of doing just that.

The Bianconeri have only won UEFA’s elite competition twice before, but if they can convince Bonucci and Pogba to remain in a squad that now contains Pjanic, Alves and Benatia—and maybe even Higuain—a third European Cup/Champions League might be theirs for the taking.

The 2016/17 season could see Allegri proved correct as Juventus aim to show they do indeed once again merit consideration as one of Europe’s truly elite clubs.