Juventus: More Than Tevez or Aguero, They Need a World Class Defender

The completion of the Juventus Arena promises to reign in a new dawn for the Old Lady of Italian football.

Fully owned by the club, the new, ultra-modern home of Italy’s most successful team should spark a renewed sense of enthusiasm from its tifosi, which should hopefully result in capacity crowds.

The significant financial benefits will certainly help Juve’s attempt to return to the top of the domestic game.

While off the pitch the club has moved in the right direction, on the pitch the club’s management have yet to assemble a squad that can realistically challenge for the Scudetto, though they have been busy so far in the transfer market. 

So far Juventus have landed the signatures of Andrea Pirlo, Michele Pazienza, and Stephen Lichsteiner while Alessandro Matri, Marco Motta, Simone Pepe, and Fabio Quagliarella have had their contracts made permanent. In addition, Sergio Almiron and Amauri have returned to the club after their loan experiences with Bari and Parma, respectively.

The decisions to keep Quagliarella and Matri make sense as both impressed last season. Before the former succumbed to a season ending injury in December, Juventus were on course to challenge for the Scudetto whilst the latter notched an impressive nine goals from his 15 starts in the second half of the season.

But, the likes of Simone Pepe, Amauri, Almiron, and Motta will not help Juve’s bid for the Scudetto. Further, beyond domestic matters such players will have little influence.

Michele Pazienza is a useful addition, one which will add depth to the side, and the arrivals of Stephen Lichsteiner and Reto Ziegler are meant to solve Juve’s problems at full back.

However, the ability of either of the latter two players to elevate the Old Lady beyond seventh place is questionable, though they are certainly improvements, if only so slight.

The biggest name to arrive in Turin so far this summer is undoubtedly Andrea Pirlo.

Only cast aside by Max Allegri for tactical reasons, Pirlo remains a world-class player. Capable of the spectacular and an absolute master at dictating play, the Italian international will form a key part of the new-look Juventus outfit this upcoming season.

It is well known that the club is still chasing another world-class striker, and virtually every available player this summer has been linked to the Turin-based club. Giuseppe Marotta has long been hot on the heels of Sergio Aguero while Carlos Tevez and Giuseppe Rossi have also been closely linked with a move to Piedmont.

There is no doubt that the arrival of any one of these players will greatly enhance Juventus’s chances of attaining a Champions League place next season, which next season means placing in the top three.

The team could do with the addition of a Tevez or Aguero, and nothing would be as pleasing as seeing such a star entertain and dazzle the home crowd in their slick new home stadium.

However, from a purely footballing perspective, the team is in greater need of another type of player.

Last season Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci formed the central defensive partnership and it failed.

For goals conceded last season, Juventus ranked tied for eighth alongside Genoa and Parma while Chievo Verona, who placed 11th, even conceded fewer goals.

Giorgio Chiellini remains Italy’s best hope to replace the now-retired Fabio Cannavaro; however, in many respects he is much more effective at left back, where he is given the freedom to roam forward.

But, Chiellini will remain at centre half because there are simply too few options in this area for Antonio Conte: After Bonucci and Chiellini, there is only Andrea Barzagli and Frederik Sorenson to be called upon, neither of which name is reassuring.

Milan won the Scudetto last season, and much of the credit for their triumph can be laid upon the assured performances of Thiago Silva and Alessandro Nesta in central defence. They were two of Milan’s most consistent performers, and they helped the club concede only 24 goals in the whole campaign, in addition to 19 clean sheets.

This is an impressive record and one that reinforces the idea that, to build a winning team, it has to all start from the back.

This is why Juventus need a world-class centre half more so than a crowd-pleasing striker.

While the latter will ensure entertainment and excitement, the former will actually help the club get to where it is aiming to once again be: at the top.