Juventus' Transfer Window: Grading the Bianconeri's Summer Business

Looking into his crystal ball, Juventus director Fabio Paratici made the prediction: "I think we’ll see longer loans because rather than purchase homes, people are more likely in a time of uncertainty to rent."

Juventus, along with many in Serie A, have largely followed this prophecy concerning both additions and sales.

Arguably, Juve's most exciting arrival this summer officially became a Bianconeri player in January. Dejan Kulusevski starred on loan at Parma last term and was quick to get off the mark for his new club, scoring on his debut at home to Sampdoria on the opening day of the Serie A season.

While Kulusevski's fellow new arrivals might not dazzle as brightly on paper, the Old Lady have been very busy trying to build a squad in opposition to that moniker.

In

Weston McKennie

Signed From: Schalke (loan)

Grade: B+

From the outside looking in, Weston McKennie's loan move from a Schalke side dropping like a stone to the perennial Serie A champions came out of nowhere. Yet, based on the front-foot, active style of football Juve's rookie manager Andrea Pirlo called for, McKennie ticks plenty of boxes and has slotted straight into his new coach's plans.

Arthur

Signed From: Barcelona (£66m)

Grade: C+

As the oft-repeated joke goes, the deal which saw Arthur arrive in Turin and Miralem Pjanic head for Barcelona involves more financial creativity than either player possesses on the ball.

While Juve have certainly got the better of this particular negotiation, Arthur underwhelmed in Catalonia and has struggled to establish in the embryonic stages of Pirlo's reign.

Álvaro Morata

Signed From: Atlético Madrid (loan)

Grade: B-

Álvaro Morata has returned to the scene of the happiness time in his career. A return of 16 goals in 32 starts for an Atlético side not particularly concerned with racking up the score is nothing to be sniffed at for a player already accustomed to Cristiano Ronaldo's preferences.

Rolando Mandragora

Signed From: Udinese (£9.5m)

Grade: A

In the winter of 2016 Juve snapped up Mandragora - then a promising 18-year-old - from Genoa for £8m. Two-and-a-half years, four minutes of football for Juventus and two loan spells later, the Old Lady made a £10m profit when they offloaded Mandragora to Udinese.

Two years, 64 appearances for Udinese and one ban for using blasphemous language later, Mandragora was once again a Juve player, for half the fee they sold him for.

But don't worry, we're not done with the foul-mouthed midfielder yet.

Federico Chiesa

Signed From: Fiorentina (loan)

Grade: B

The last two outfield players to swap Fiorentina for Juventus haven't set the bar very high for Chiesa. His former and future teammate Federico Bernardeschi has flattered to deceive since his £36m switch. While Felipe Melo won (if that is the right word) the Bidone d'Oro - the Golden Bin, an award given to the worst Serie A player of the season - in his debut campaign.

Where Chiesa will fit into Pirlo's new-look side will be intriguing but a fee which could rise to €60m after a two year loan is pretty steep for a player yet to demonstrate consistency at a high level.

Out

Simone Muratore

Transferred To: Atalanta (£6.3m)

Grade: B

Muratore was captain of the under-23 side but had made just five appearances for the first team. The only downside to this deal for the 22-year-old is that Atalanta were unwilling to include a buy-back clause.

Emre Can

Transferred To: Borussia Dortmund (£22.8m)

Grade: A-

In a time of widespread financial constraints, Juve were able to get more than £20m for a player who earned just two league starts in the first half of last season at Turin.

Stephy Mavididi

Transferred To: Montpellier (£5.7m)

Grade: B

The 22-year-old former Arsenal youth team player has warranted just 22 minutes of senior football for Juve. The sale of Mavididi, rather than just loaning him out for another season, is another example of the Bianconeri cobbling together any additional income where possible.

Blaise Matuidi

Transferred To: Inter Miami (free)

Grade: C

After handing Matuidi a one-year extension in April, Juve terminated the World Cup winner's contract by mutual consent a few short and life-changing months later, allowing the midfielder a free transfer.

Cristian Romero

Transferred To: Atalanta (loan + £1.8m)

Grade: C-

Just over a year after paying €26m for the promising Argentine 22-year-old, Juve have loaned Romero out to Atalanta - fellow title challengers - for two seasons.

The Bergamo side have an option to buy fixed at a fee of €16m and, if all bonuses are met, Juve could ultimately make a €6m loss on a player who will have had three years of Serie A experience to improve.

Miralem Pjanic

Transferred To: Barcelona (£54.8m)

Grade: B+

The other half of the bizarre Arthur-Pjanic swap, Juventus did well to get more than £50m for a 30-year-old Pjanic whose duties can be effectively absorbed by Rodrigo Bentancur.

Gonzalo Higuaín

Transferred To: Inter Miami (free)

Grade: D

With few suitors jostling for Higuaín's signature, Juventus were forced to terminate the Argentine's contract a year before it expired, a move which cost the club £17m.

Marko Pjaca

Transferred To: Genoa (loan)

Grade: B

Since joining the Bianconeri in the summer of 2016, Pjaca has had more loan spells (four) than starts for Juve's first-team (three).

After painfully disappointing at Fiorentina last season, the Croatia international may see more game time at Genoa, although has already contracted coronavirus this season.

Luca Pellegrini

Transferred To: Genoa (loan)

Grade: C-

One of the few clear gaps in Juve's squad lies at left-back. Alex Sandro - who is currently out injured - is the only senior option and it seems odd that Pirlo has opted to overlook Pellegrini, after featuring heavily for Cagliari last season.

Daniele Rugani

Transferred To: Rennes (loan + £1.35m)

Grade: B+

Realistically, despite all of Rugani's (unfulfilled) promise, the 26-year-old wasn't likely going to get much, if any, game time ahead of a strong quartet of centre-backs; Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini, Matthijs de Ligt and Merih Demiral.

Not only will he get the chance of Champions League football on loan at Rennes - who have coughed up a small fee - but there is no option to buy, so Juve are guaranteed of welcoming back a more experienced player still in his prime.

Rolando Mandragora

Transferred To: Udinese (loan)

Grade: B

Yes, Mandragora is back. Well, back at Udinese. As swiftly as he rejoined Juventus, Mandragora was sent to Friuli on loan. Whether he will be able to add to his tally of four minutes in a Juve shirt remains to be seen.

Douglas Costa

Transferred To: Bayern Munich (loan)

Grade: B-

With the arrival of Chiesa, Juventus felt the squad was deep enough to temporarily part ways with Costa. While the Brazilian certainly scared the life out of backlines as a substitute, injury has significantly limited his involvement in recent years.

Mattia De Sciglio

Transferred To: Lyon (loan)

Grade: B

When fit, the versatile De Sciglio has proven himself to be an adequate utility player. Yet, in the last 13 months, the 27-year-old has spent more time on the treatment table than the pitch. A loan to Lyon will at least ensure Juve aren't paying wages to someone bound to the sidelines.

Juventus' Overall Transfer Grade - Summer 2020: B+

The Old Lady has been given an injection of youth in this transfer window and largely without sacrificing quality. Admittedly, they were unable to raise many funds in sales, settling for the short term relief of loans and Sami Khedira is, somehow, still technically a Juventus player.