Despite adding Manuel Locatelli and Denis Zakaria to the fold, the midfield department remains the Bianconeri’s Achilles Heel.

Max Allegri’s squad is filled with high-earning midfielders who have done little to justify their hefty salaries.

While a wave of young talent is stepping up and ready to replace them, Juventus still need to sign at least one household name with major experience who can lift the quality in the middle of the park.

So who would be the perfect candidate?

Davide Frattesi (Sassuolo)

We start with the youngest member of the shortlist. The Italian proved to be one of the best revelations of the Serie A campaign, cementing himself as a fabulous box-to-box midfielder and earning comparisons with his idol Claudio Marchisio. 

Jorginho (Chelsea)

The Euro 2020 winner didn’t enjoy his best campaign, but he remains a vastly experienced Regista who possesses qualities that our current crop lacks.

Sergej Milinkovic-Savic (Lazio)

The consensus best midfielder in Serie A. This man has vast array of weapons in his arsenal: Strength, skills, goals, assists… he simply does it all. This explains Claudio Lotito’s astronomic asking price.

Leandro Paredes (PSG)

The Argentine had his highs and lows in Paris and could be looking to embark on a new adventure this summer. Perhaps a return to Italy would be his most logical option.

Paul Pogba (Free Agent)

We all know the story behind this one. Some would argue that Juve’s midfield has never been the same since the Frenchman’s departure in 2016. But is he still the same player who graced the Allianz Stadium pitch during the previous decade?

Verdict

As one would notice, the options are numerous and variant. While Frattesi is surely one for the future, adding another box-to-box midfielder shouldn’t be the club’s priority, even if he would be an improvement on some of our current players.

Jorginho could be the right profile to fill the hole that has been left void since the departure of Miralem Pjanic. But based on his performances from last season, the Italo-Brazilian could be on the decline.

For his part, Paredes has been repeatedly linked with Juventus throughout the years, but the Argentine will celebrate his 28th birthday this month, and he’s yet to showcase the consistent form that can mark him out as a special player.

The real duel here is between Pogba and Milinkovic-Savic. Two stars who undoubtedly share some similarities in their playing style. The Frenchman might be flashier, but the Serbian isn’t any less effective, as proven by his stunning stats this season.

Yes, the Lazio star is currently at the peak of his powers and supposedly have several good years ahead of him, while the future is less certain for the 2018 World Cup winner who’s been dealing with recurring injuries and failing to produce on a consistent level.

But in the end, it all comes down to the financial aspect, especially amidst the current financial difficulties. We simply don’t know if Juventus can afford to splash another 70+ millions on a single player after signing Dusan Vlahovic in January.

Therefore, free agency will tip the scale in favor of the old superstar. Perhaps he’d cost for than SMS in terms of wages, but thanks to the Growth Decree, the difference will be tolerable.

So despite some of the question marks related to his form and physical shape, Pogba remains the most suitable candidate for the job.