With an overcrowding of attackers, who should Juve sell?
Juventus currently have a number of attacking players available to them: Cristiano Ronaldo, Mario Mandzukic, Federico Bernardeschi, Douglas Costa, Juan Cuadrado and Paulo Dybala. Whilst this can be considered as having good squad depth, it does mean that some players will grow unhappy at a lack of game-time or starts. Juventus can solve this problem by offloading a player or two, especially if they want to make room for future signings.
Join CalcioMercato as we debate which players should be sold by Juventus:
Cristiano Ronaldo
This is an obvious one and is almost needless to say. Juventus shouldn’t and, more importantly, won’t be selling their 33-year-old superstar front man any time soon, despite his slow start to Serie A. Ronaldo finally scored his first goal against Sassuolo last weekend, adding another in the same match. However, during the week, Ronaldo was sent off in Juve’s Champions League match against Valencia, for an albeit harsh decision. Regardless, Ronaldo isn’t going anywhere.
Mario Mandzukic
Mandzukic offers Juventus a lot as he cannot just be deployed as a winger but as a striker too. He has a wide skill-set and is good on the ball, dominant in the air and a good finisher too. Mandzukic has started three times for Juventus in their four Serie A games, played the 90 minutes against Valencia and came on as a substitute in their other Serie A match.
This being said, Manchester United have reportedly been interested in the Croatian forward, who impressed many with his performances at the World Cup, scoring the winner against England in the semi-final. Furthermore, Mandzukic is 32-years-old now and is coming into the twilight of his career. So, if Juventus want to sell him and make some money off the sale, they will want to move quickly and, therefore, Mandzukic’s departure could be on the Juve radar.
Federico Bernardeschi
Like Ronaldo, Bernardeschi is another Juventus player who is largely considered to be indispensable and, at just 24-years-old, is one of Juventus’ youngest attacking players. Bernardeschi signed for Juventus from Fiorentina last season and is quickly becoming an important part of Max Allegri’s plan at the club. With the future ahead and Juventus’ ageing squad, Bernardeschi is certain to remain at the club.
Douglas Costa
Completing the trilogy of players not likely to leave is Douglas Costa, the Brazilian winger who joined Juve on loan, and later permanently, from Bayern Munich. Costa is known for his tricky pace and skills, as well as his crossing and passing ability. Costa has come on a substitute four times for Juventus in their five games in all competitions, meaning that although he is not a main character for Allegri, he is certainly in the supporting cast.
Juan Cuadrado
Juan Cuadrado, before the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo, held the number seven shirt at Juventus. When Ronaldo joined, Cuadrado gave the shirt up in a heart-beat so that the 33-year-old could have his signature shirt. Cuadrado has so far played three times for Juventus this season; two starts and a sub-appearance.
Cuadrado is 30-years-old and has reportedly been a target of a number of clubs, most notably Bayern Munich, for some time. It is is possible that if Cuadrado receives less game-time as the season progresses Juve will, as they could with Mandzukic, choose to sell for gain now, rather than lose on a free or for less at a later date.
Paulo Dybala
The story of Paulo Dybala seems to be nearing a major twist, with it thought that Dybala is disappointed at a lack of game-time with the Old Lady and will seek a move away. Dybala has played just 190 minutes for Juventus this season, failing to score or assist a goal so far. Not only this but Dybala has had a rough break, playing just 22 minutes in Argentina’s disappointing World Cup campaign.
Dybala is a reported target of a number of big clubs, with Real Madrid, Manchester United, Liverpool and Barcelona all being linked with the young Argentine’s name over the past year. Dybala is just 24 and therefore has many years left in him – making him an important player for Juventus to keep hold of. However, if he begins to grow unhappy he could seek the exit, with a whole host of clubs waiting to pounce.
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