Fresh faces boost Juventus ahead of Italian Serie A title defence

Milan (AFP) – Roma, Napoli and Inter Milan hold high hopes ahead of the new Serie A season beginning on Saturday, but defending champions Juventus have laid down a marker with an impressive summer spending spree. After cruising to the title for a record-equalling fifth season in succession three months ago, few would bet against Massimiliano Allegri’s men making it six Scudetti in a row. Despite the world-record departure of Paul Pogba to Manchester United, Juve have added the likes of Gonzalo Higuain and Miralem Pjanic to their squad, and the in the process weakened title rivals Napoli and Roma.

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After cruising to the title for a record-equalling fifth season in succession three months ago, few would bet against Massimiliano Allegri’s men making it six Scudetti in a row.

Despite the world-record departure of Paul Pogba to Manchester United, Juve have added the likes of Gonzalo Higuain and Miralem Pjanic to their squad, and the in the process weakened title rivals Napoli and Roma.

Indeed some, including Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, believe the new-look Italian champions are also firmly in contention for Champions League glory, two years after a 3-1 final defeat to Barcelona in Berlin.

“Juventus are doing some great stuff and will certainly be one of the favourites for the Champions League title, although Roma also have a great side,” Guardiola told Mediaset Premium.

Higuain, who set a new Serie A record of 36 goals in a single season for Napoli last campaign, was the subject of arguably the summer’s biggest transfer saga in Italy.

While Juventus waited to offload French midfielder Pogba for a new world record transfer fee of 105m euros ($118m), striker Higuain joined the Turin giants on a 90m-euros deal.

It was a controversial move that saw Napoli fans throw Higuain shirts down the toilet, and prompted one pizzeria to offer one-euro pizzas every time the Argentine gets injured this campaign.

Labelled a “traitor” by owner and club president Aurelio De Laurentiis, Higuain will join compatriot Paul Dybala and Croatian Mario Mandzukic to create a potent attack in Turin.

But the Old Lady also strengethened in other areas, as Allegri recruited young and versatile Croatian midfielder Marko Pjaca (Dinamo Zagreb), and in acquiring Bosnian Pjanic he has simultaneously boosted his midfield and deprived Roma of one of their key operators.

Following his move to Juventus from Spanish giants Barcelona, Dani Alves and his wealth of Champions League experience could also come in handy when Allegri deploys his favoured 3-5-2 formation in Europe’s premier club competition.

Roma, runners-up in 2014 and 2015, managed to keep highly-fancied Belgian midfielder Radja Nainggolan over the summer, and made influential Egyptian winger Mohamed Salah’s loan from Chelsea permanent.

– Totti set for last hurrah –

In what is likely to be Francesco Totti’s 24th and final season at the club, Roma fans would be forgiven for dreaming of giving ‘the King of Rome’ a memorable send-off with a first league crown since 2001.

But even vice-captain Daniele De Rossi suggested that Juve, on paper, hold all the aces: “They were really strong already, but now they’ve bought a bunch of players who are so famous they don’t even need to be presented.

“But we can’t focus too much on them (Juventus). We have to keep our heads up and remember we only play them twice.”

Juve’s three-man defence of Andrea Barzagli, Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini is unlikely to change dramatically this season, although the loan signing of Mehdi Benatia (Bayern Munich) and the continuing emergence of Daniele Rugani will give Allegri options when it comes to juggling on three fronts.

While Juventus plot to win a trio of trophies, fallen giants Inter and AC Milan would, after the relative disasters of recent seasons and their continued absences from the Champions League, be happy with a top-three finish and a return to Europe’s top table.

As seven-time European champions Milan await a pending takeover by a Chinese consortium that could inject new talent, Inter have already drawn a line in the sand.

New coach Frank De Boer was unveiled as the replacement to sacked Roberto Mancini last week, but was quick to play down the threat of Juventus.

“Nothing is impossible, no-one is unbeatable. Sometimes things change, we will definitely play our hardest to make their lives as difficult as possible,” he said.

Given Juve’s success in recent years, their CEO Beppe Marotta could afford a wry retort when he said Wednesday: “If a football expert like him says Juve haven’t been strengthened, we have to believe him.

“We’ll treasure that. Let’s see if we can find new stimuli to improve ourselves.”

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