Juventus one week before the start: what is working and what is not, between the pitch and the transfer market

Juventus's defence is working well, their midfield and attack less so. Across all their friendlies, they have conceded very few chances to their opponents, and in six matches they have let in goals (two) only against Inter. In midfield, Douglas Luiz has been among the best this pre-season and, barring surprises, looks set to keep his place. New signing Celik has also shown good personality and effectiveness, while further forward the sharpest and most enterprising player has been Conceicao.

Goalkeeping remains a sore point, especially when it comes to Di Gregorio. He and Perin have had little to do against their opponents, yet the former Monza man has conceded the only two goals Juventus have let in during pre-season, both against Inter, with a double aggravating factor: he dives late for Dimarco's goal, while for Diouf's he makes an awkward attempt at a save and almost knocks the ball into the net himself. The understanding between Alajbegovic and Yildiz still needs oiling, though that is obviously to be expected: the risk is that the two could get in each other's way, as they like to occupy the same areas of the pitch. Finally, there is the real problem, one Juventus also had last season: they lack a penalty-box centre-forward, which Kolo Muani is not.

Juventus have strengthened above all at the back, where Celik and Lucumí look like two certainties. The former Roma man brings versatility and can cover several roles, a trait managers love. The former Bologna player, meanwhile, is a signing that guarantees physicality and experience, and he completes the group of left-footed centre-backs, offering stronger guarantees on paper than Kelly. Finally, Alajbegovic represents a very important signing for the future, and he is also the kind of player who can reignite the fans' enthusiasm after years of expensive but disappointing signings.

The list of things not working in the transfer market is long. First comes the goalkeeper issue, and it has started to look surreal. After flirting with Alisson, Svilar and Dibu Martinez, while always keeping Vicario as an alternative, Juventus suddenly turned to Suzuki. That deal became complicated and then collapsed. In the last few hours, rumours have pointed to a return for Martinez, but the fact remains that on 16 August, one week before the opening round of the league season, Juventus still do not have a new first-choice goalkeeper. And to think that it should have been the first thing they addressed in the transfer market.

Then there is midfield. They still lack a deep-lying playmaker, and apparently Juventus could fall back on an attempt to recycle Douglas Luiz. They also still have not found a replacement for Vlahovic, and it is not Kolo Muani. The Frenchman is a good striker and a good signing, but he likes to drift across the entire front line. He is not a penalty-box centre-forward.

Last comes the surplus players chapter: with Openda sorted out, the Juventus squad still contains a long list of players the club would like to do without, but who, for various reasons (transfer fee too high, wages too high, lack of admirers), risk being difficult to place: Di Gregorio, Rugani, Kooomeiners, Arthur, Milik, Zhegrova and David.