Top five players Juventus should target this summer

The club will look to challenge for the Serie A title

Juventus had a very turmoiled 2022-23 season in Serie A and European competition, as they ended up missing out on the European spot after an 11-point deduction. Not only that, they were eliminated from Europa by the invincible Sevilla team.

Allegri will be having a mind-storming transfer window as their main marksman, Dusan Vlahovic is on target for Chelsea, and Kulusevski has joined Spurs after his loan spell over there. Di Maria and Juan Cuadrado were released after their contracts ended, and there could be a few more departures.

In terms of signings, they have managed to secure the signings of Locatelli, Kean, Weah, and Milik, but they will need a few more recruitments in order to be considered for the title. Let’s take a look at players that would be the perfect fit for this Juventus squad.  

5. Franck Kessie (midfielder) - Barcelona

After spending a season with Barcelona, Kessie is one of the players that is on the transfer list of the Catalans in order to get some financial stability. Now that Camp Nou is under construction and will be under renovation for the next three years, they will need more cash to get the finances in order.

A Saudi club is prepared to pay Barca around £17 million for the midfielder, who joined the club on a free transfer from AC Milan a year ago, and will hand him an annual salary worth £8.6 million. But Kessie is not convinced about leaving European football just yet and would be more open to a move to the Premier League with Chelsea.

He is attracted to the idea of testing himself in England, while Pochettino is a big fan, having previously looked into buying him when he was a manager at both Spurs and PSG. Chelsea were also linked with a move in January, but nothing has been confirmed as of now. Juventus could swoop in to persuade the midfielder to get those match minutes regularly.

4. Jorginho (defensive midfielder) - Arsenal

Jorginho wants to remain at Arsenal despite their interest in Declan Rice, according to the Italian's agent. The midfielder only moved to the Gunners in January as they looked to bolster their ranks ahead of the title race before they ultimately came unstuck. Jorginho left Chelsea to move to the Emirates but was always going to be a squad player with Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey ahead of him in the pecking order.

The Italian started nine times in the league last term for the Gunners, making a further five appearances from the bench. Despite their collapse, there is plenty of optimism that Arsenal can build on their second-place finish last term. He was at the helm of Chelsea and their main force in the centre, but since his switch to the other side of London, he seems to have been forgotten due to those substitute appearances.

Juventus could be the next home for the Italian, as with his return to his home country, he could get more comfortable in the midfield and play a style of football that you are familiar with.

3. Nahuel Molina (right-back) - Atletico Madrid

Juventus will look to sign a right back and a left back this summer. The Bianconeri are considering making a bid for Udinese star Nahuel Molina. The Argentina international was the highest-scoring right-back in Europe’s big five leagues with six goals and earned a €25 million summer move to Atletico Madrid.

Now, after showing his prowess at the top-level club, many clubs have been keeping tabs on Nahuel Molina in that position, according to reports from Spain via Sport Witness.

The Atletico Madrid man, who can also play further forward as a right midfielder, has featured on 28 occasions for the Spanish side this campaign and has emerged as a mainstay in the side, with three goals and two assists to his name. Offensively, he has managed 1.2 key passes per game in La Liga this season.

This puts him within the top five at his current club for that stat and shows he has superb vision and can pick out a teammate with ease despite being far back on the field. He is the perfect replacement for Cuadrado and will provide the same dynamics that Colombian had provided for six years at that spot.

2. Davide Frattesi (midfielder) – Sassuolo

Sassuolo have been the best team in Italy in the last few years at developing young talent, and Davide Frattesi is just the latest in that line. Since last season, Frattesi has emerged as one of Italy’s most promising central midfielders, and Italian clubs like Roma, Juventus, and Inter are fighting it out for his signature. Not only that, but Tottenham have shown a keen interest in this Italian midfielder.

Frattesi’s idol is former Juventus midfielder Claudio Marchisio, a player he has been compared to. The 23-year-old joined the Neroverdi from Roma in 2017 for a reported £4.5 million. He has taken on three loan spells—Ascoli, Empoli, and Monza—before breaking into the Sassuolo first team.

Juventus are believed to be ahead of Inter in the race, but Frattesi could yet stay for another season if Sassuolo doesn’t get a bid they could agree on, which is considered around £30–35m. His price will only go higher with every passing season given his performances and importance in the midfield, as he scored seven goals in the Serie A 2022-23 season.

1. Mauro Icardi (forward) - Paris Saint-Germain

Icardi seems to have found his goalscoring boots again with the Istanbul-based outfit. The Argentine is currently averaging one goal per game. He has scored ten goals and registered seven assists in 17 games played in all competitions for Galatasaray.

According to Le Parisien, Icardi has proven indispensable for the Turkish outfit, so much so that Galatasaray have opened talks with PSG over a definitive transfer for their striker. The outlet reports that Galatasaray will value Icardi at around €10 million. It is expected that PSG will sign off on the eventual departure of their once-underperforming striker, but for now, he has returned to the Paris capital.

Arsenal and Manchester United both approached Icardi last year, but he has proved to be a liability at times when he is considered mostly hit-and-miss. But his performance for Galatasaray has shown his traits, where he can be both lethal and clinical.

Juventus are looking to secure a big money move if Vlahovic decides to join Chelsea, as they have money and the gap left since Havertz joined the Gunners. Icardi could be bought for cheap and could be a bench strength factor as well for the next season, where they will be fighting to get a Europe spot, Coppa Italia, and Seria A.