The annual carousel of potential transfer targets is spinning once again in Turin as Juventus look to try and build a title contending team. As is the summer tradition, star players from all across Europe are being linked with the Bianconeri. But while the flashy names are splashed across the headlines, club General Manager Giuseppe Marotta and Juventus are quietly going about the business of fixing what really needed to be fixed.
Today, we get word for Turin that Lazio’s right-back Stephan Lichsteiner is undergoing a medical and should officially become a Juve player in the near future. The 27 year old Swiss international becomes the first transfer of the season that Juventus has paid a fee for and joins fellow summer signings Andrea Pirlo, Michele Pazienza and Reto Ziegler who were all signed on free-transfers.
So for what appears to be a total expenditure of somewhere around 10-12 million euros, Juve has signed a left-back, a right-back and two very capable central midfielders to replace the potential loss of Alberto Aquilani. Considering how little he has spent so far this summer, and the quality of players he has signed, it is hard to argue that Marotta has not done brilliantly up to now.
Is is true Juventus is by no means setting the world on fire with this deal, as Lichsteiner is not exactly the sexy signing the media clammer for. But he is exactly what the Old Lady needs and supporters of the club should take notice of what Marotta has accomplished so early in the transfer window.
Anyone who watched more than ten minutes of a Juventus game this past season will be able to identify the team’s biggest weakness was in defense, specifically the full-backs. Giorgio Chielinni and Leonardo Bonucci made a solid pairing in the center of the backline, but too often they were forced wide or into bad positions by fumbling full-backs. Juve needed to strengthen both wide defensive positions, and with Ziegler and Lichsteiner that is exactly what they have done.
Juve supporters may be understandably salivating over the prospect of signing a world-class striker the likes Giuseppe Rossi or Sergio Aquero, and who wouldn’t be? But first thing’s first. If Juventus wants to play Champions League football again and compete for a Scudetto, they need a much better defense than the one that took the field in 2010-11. And that is exactly what Marotta has acquired.
