Juventus leaving the rest of Serie A behind with summer additions

First it was Andrea Pirlo, Paul Pogba, Arturo Vidal, now it’s Fernando Llorente, Carlos Tevez and maybe even Angelo Ogbonna and Stevan Jovetic.

First Juventus moved past their Serie A rivals, now they’re embarrassing them.

Juventus director Beppe Marotta has come under criticism in recent years for not landing “big players” – two summers marked by missing out on star strikers (Sergio Aguero, Giuseppe Rossi, Eden Dzeko) have attracted doubters  but they’ve masked what has also been back-to-back summers of excellent work.

As previously mentioned, Marotta has brokered deals for world class players for minimal cost, adding piece by piece to the Bianconeri machine and turning the Serie A title race into a one horse competition.

After closing what Gianluigi Buffon called the “deal of the century” when Andrea Pirlo cut ties with AC Milan to join the Turinese revolution, Juventus then added Arturo Vidal for €10 million – who is now the best midfielder in Italy, and one of the most complete in all of Europe.

Paul Pogba was another free transfer who looks to be France’s best prospect since Karim Benzema. When contrasted with the rest of the footballing world’s cash-happy approach to acquiring players, Juventus’ control, discipline, and financial restraint is a breath of fresh air.

This summer’s transfer window has barely started and Marotta’s work has continued, and with excellent results. Fernando Llorente was an addition that was already completed in January, but Juventus allowed Llorente’s contract to run out so he joins them for free.

Mean,while Carlos Tevez, who nearly signed for Milan for €25m in January 2012, leaves for €10m and will fill a vacant gap for a side that has few holes left to fill.

In addition, Juventus are leading a charge for Stevan Jovetic in a transfer race that seems to contain only them. Juventus are also showing a clever side by using their own players as makeweights, so to avoid spending over the odds for the Montenegrin.

Another player who could arrive who doesn’t necessarily plug a huge gap in the squad is Angelo Ogbonna. The Torino captain offers versatility and potential, and could well be the successor to Andrea Barzagli.

The fact that Juventus’ closest rivals AC Milan and Napoli both have needs at centre-back and could guarantee starts for the defender, Juventus’s acquisition of him is an even greater indication of the Bianconeri’s success in the off-season.

It’s a frightening collection of circumstances for the rest of Italy, as Juventus’ acquisitions move them closer to the upper echelons of European football and further away from their Italian counterparts. While Napoli and Milan spend their time trying to hold onto their stars, Juventus are acquiring more.

It’s a glimpse into what could become a mini-dynasty for Juventus, who are favourites for a third successive title and will look to push forward in the Champions League, too.

It’s a credit to Andrea Agnelli and his board of directors, who have rebuilt the side in the wake of the Calciopoli scandal and overtaken rivals that had a five year head-start over. Consider the added financially benefits of a brand new stadium and it could go on for a while yet.