By M. Koleosho

Coming off a domestic double and losing to Barcelona in the champions’ league final, Juventus looked like a team ready to dance with the big names of European football. Boasting one of the deepest teams in the world, their continued dominance of the Italian football landscape looked like a foregone conclusion. Yet this off-season has proved that Juventus is a team that’s going into this campaign with some nagging questions. Surprising considering all their accomplishments up till this point.

Interestingly enough, Juventus started the off-season on a fantastic note. Quickly addressing pressing issues by snapping up highly touted Argentine prospect Paulo Dybala. Concluding deals for Simone Zaza and Domenico Berardi, bringing promising defender Daniele Rugani to Turin, picking up Sami Khedira on a free transfer and capping it all by signing Mario Mandkuzic from Atletico.

On paper, Juventus had conducted smart business. Amongst all the players listed above, Dybala was the most expensive. Considering the competition they were facing, it’s understandable that they would have to spend a bit to get him. Whilst there’s a lot of criticism leveled at Italian football and the problem it faces keeping its stars, Juventus by picking up Dybala and also ensuring that Zaza, Berardi and Rugani all have a future with the old lady, have secured and will develop some promising stars for the future of the Italian game.

With the likes of Kwadwo Asamoah and Martin Caceres returning from injury plagued seasons, the depth of the team looks even more impressive.

It is clear that Juventus is making a concerted effort to get younger. There are currently 7 first team members born after 1990. It’s a smart move for a team not only thinking of winning now, but also in the future.

Yet with all the great things the team has done this off-season especially in lowering the average age of the squad, there is a lot of pressure to not only win a 5th straight but also prove that by losing some key players, the team can still find ways to win.

Without a doubt losing Carlos Tevez, Arturo Vidal and Andrea Pirlo in the same off season is a major blow. Tevez was the team’s top scorer, providing many moments of pure magic last season. Whether the team can replicate his scoring prowess remains to be seen.

Andrea Pirlo has been instrumental to the team’s success in the last four years. In fact one could go as far as saying that his signing ushered in a new era of success for the Turin giants. Whilst age wise it was probably a prudent move to let him leave, his leadership and exceptional calm on the field of play will be sorely missed.

As for Arturo Vidal, it seems he needed a change of scenery. An incredible player in his own right, his heroics and exploits with the club will surely not be forgotten. His unique style of play, is a quality that only a few players possess in the world.

And so Juventus goes into the season without 3 of its key players. Whilst it’s arguable that Claudio Marchisio, Roberto Pereyra and Paul Pogba can hold their own in the midfield, Tevez’ knack for timely goals might be more difficult to replicate.

In a season where Juventus’ rivals have all strengthened most notably Inter and Roma, one wonders if this is the year they finally lose their stranglehold at the top of the league.

Whether this will be the case is a storyline to watch going into the new season. The old lady made the right moves by going younger, and it’s already paying off with Dybala scoring a beautiful goal to seal the super cup win for his new team. More of that will be required from him and his teammates this season. This might turn out to be one of their most challenging seasons in recent memory.