Last January, former Juventus sporting director, Fabio Paratici, spent the entire winter transfer market searching for a new striker who would complete the attacking department alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, Alvaro Morata and Paulo Dybala.
Whilst a host of names had been mentioned – with Gianluca Scamacca being the most recurring – the Old Lady left the market empty-handed, as Dejan Kulusevki was eventually shifted into a higher position upfront.
Despite some circulating reports linking the Bianconeri to a new list of strikers, it seems that the management is little less adamant on signing attacking reinforcement this summer – especially if Ronaldo ends up remaining at the club.
Which poses the following question: Do Juventus really need to sign a fourth wheel in attack? Or should they just maintain the status-quo?
In the middle of the previous turbulent campaign, Juve fans felt that an addition is truly required, especially with Dybala spending the majority of the season on the bench, and Morata having physical problems of his own.
That situation left Andrea Pirlo exposed, with the rookie manager opting to play a hybrid 4-4-2 formation.
However, with Max Allegri back at the club, 4-3-3 is expected to be the most recurring lineup next season, and the returning manager doesn’t wish to have a large squad at his disposal, aiming for 22 or 23 first team players.
In this tactical setup, only one center forward is needed, and whilst some fans may be worried of Morata’s misfiring, he remains the club’s most natural number 9.
However, Ronaldo can always cover in this role, as his abilities inside the penalty box need no introduction, whilst Dybala could also be deployed as a false nine if needed.
As for the wing roles, Federico Chiesa and Dejan Kulusevski are branded as the future of the club, and are both expected to grow further during their second campaign in Turin.
Meanwhile, for better or worse, Juventus seem to be stuck with Federico Bernardeschi for at least another season, and Allegri can only hope that the Italian rediscovers his past form after showing some positive signs with the national team.
Moreover, Juan Cuadrado could maintain his role at right-back, but the Colombian remains a viable option for the attack.
Although the attacking crew is far from perfect, the Old Lady doesn’t have a shortage of options in attack – at least if the coach is truly going to adopt his favorite 4-3-3 formation.
Whilst the supporters would always hope for some new and exciting arrivals this summer, we can expect the management to focus on fixing the issues in midfield rather spending their thin transfer funds on yet another striker.
So while a dynamic striker would make a nice addition to the squad, we better keep our expectations low for such scenario.
