This could see several players sold in the summer, with a midfield rebuild expected to begin in the summer. One of the biggest exits will likely revolve around Aaron Ramsey and Adrian Rabiot. Both have been linked with moves to the Premier League. Ramsey will draw interest, with his homegrown status and previous resume in England sure to draw attention. Rabiot was signed at a great financial cost in terms of wages but has only intermittently turned up and made any kind of meaningful impression.
With financial pressure worsened due to the inability to move on from expensive veterans, too, Juventus might need to look to sell players at reduced fees to simply make space for their own midfield changes. The club has been linked with several replacements, but it is believed that few, if any, of their current central midfield options are seen as irreplaceable.
Even the likes of Weston McKennie, who has impressed with his physicality and goalscoring, could be seen as a likely source of revenue. With Juve keen to rebuild the team and add more youthful vigour to parts of the side, there could be a fire sale in a bid to draw in the funds needed to start a genuine midfield rebuild.
Who would Juventus target in a new midfield?
The strongest linked name at the moment is former Milan midfield, Manuel Locatelli. The Italian has shone for Sassuolo since arriving permanently, and this season has been among the best midfielders in Serie A. He also scored for Italy during the most recent international break, showing growth in his game. Juve knows all about the player, too; he scored a decisive goal against them when first breaking through with Milan.
Now a first-team regular in Serie A, he is seen as the kind of control, the commanding influence that the Juve midfield is sorely lacking. Some other names have been suggested, though many feel either out of reach, such as Marco Verratti, or agent talk to draw interest in players who would simply fill squad rotas.
One thing is for sure, though; Juventus will be hoping to find new midfield talent in the summer of 2021. With talk of the potential boardroom and front office changes, too, we could see Pavel Nedved shopping for a midfielder of a similar ilk and standard to himself as a player.
As the glaring weakness in a Juventus team-high on depth but short on quality, this could be a pivotal summer in the recent history of Juventus overall.
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