As the year nears its end, many persons take the occasion to reflect on some of the deeper matters in life.

But for football fans, the new year means one thing and one thing only: The January transfer market is here!

This winter, Juventus are hoping to witness the arrivals of new players who can bolster Max Allegri’s squad.

But truth to be told, this has rarely been the case in the last decade or so, as the majority of our January signings had been mere stopgaps who barely added anything but depth to the team.

However, there are always exceptions. So we decided to pick the best five players who bolstered the Old Lady’s squad in the middle of the season since 2010.

Note: The entries are exclusively players who actually joined the Juventus squad in January. Therefore, the likes of Dejan Kulusevski and Nicolò Rovella who were signed in the winter with a view for the future are ineligible to the list.

5- Stefano Sturaro (2015)

The midfielder was initially signed from Genoa in the summer of 2014, but the original plan was to keep him at the Luigi Ferraris for another season.

However, the Bianconeri then decided to cut his loan spell short, as the Italian made the move to Turin to add some strength to an already formidable midfield department.

Sturaro wasn’t the most technical of players, but still provided some vital contributions in some of the big matches, including a crucial goal-saving block against Real Madrid in the Champions League, and scoring an equalizer against Bayern Munich at home a year later.

4- Martin Caceres (2012 and 2019)

The Uruguayan famously played for the Old Lady on three different spells, with the last two taking place in the winter.

But his middle stint, which started in 2012, was undoubtedly the most memorable one.

The defender was rarely a starter, but he always proved to be a reliable option at center back or even as a fullback.

3- Alessandro Matri (2011 and 2015)

Yet another player who made the trip to Turin twice in January.

During his first stint at Juventus, the striker immediately cemented himself as a first choice option, and then played an important role in Antonio Conte’s Scudetto-winning squad.

His second spell was much shorter, but he still scored the extra-time winner that sealed the Bianconeri’s first Coppa Italia triumph in 20 years.

2- Simone Padoin (2012)

When he made the switch from Atalanta to Juventus, Simone Padoin was hardly a household name.

But after acting as a loyal servant to the club’s cause throughout four and a half years filled with domestic success, the versatile Italian will always hold a special place in the hearts of the supporters.

This summer, he made his return to Juventus as a part of Allegri’s technical staff.

Andrea Barzagli (2011)

They say you can’t find quality players in January. Well, meet the exception.

The 2006 World Cup winner left Wolfsburg to join Luigi Delneri’s side in the middle of a complicated 2010/11 campaign.

His arrival couldn’t salvage the Bianconeri’s season, but when Conte took over, he deployed the experienced defender alongside the younger Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci, and the rest is history.

The center back remained in Turin until 2018, before hanging his boots as a club legend.