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As if we needed another couple of reasons to doubt what the hell the English media throws out there most of the time, there were plenty things involving Juventus over the course of the last three-plus months.
The easy narrative entering the summer was that Juventus needed to sell one of Arturo Vidal or Paul Pogba in order to revitalize a squad that some thought needed some major improvements despite winning three straight Serie A titles. Many outlets used it to their advantage, flooding us with the notion that it wasn't a matter of "IF" Juventus would sell one of their best players, but "WHEN" they would.
Even with the summer transfer market being closed, people are talking about it.
So as I sit in my recliner on a lovely evening here in California during the first week of September, Juventus haven't sold anybody for the sole purpose of allowing them to buy players. The transfer window is shut and Vidal is still wearing bianconero. Same goes for Pogba. Both featured over the weekend against Chievo. Both will continue to feature the rest of the season and hopefully for years after the season we've only just begun days ago..
(You can say what you want about their statuses next summer, but that's not why we're here.)
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We can go back and forth for hours about what Juventus specifically needed in the transfer market this summer. And don't get me wrong, around this place we certainly have done quite a bit of that already. But the glitz and glam of Serie A isn't what it used to be, and that means players will leave for a variety of reasons regardless of how we personally feel about them. So when Beppe Marotta comes out and basically says "Arturo Vidal isn't for sale, you jerks!" at every introductory news conference this summer, there are going to be people who don't believe. It doesn't matter how many times he said it,
Or, in other words: Marotta not only kept his word about Vidal and Pogba not being for sale, but he also kept the whole band together. And in an era of football where the motto may as well be "C.R.E.A.M.," it says a lot when a team that has players worth stacks and stacks of cash
There weren't drastic additions that magically changed the Juventus starting lineup. Juventus' summer mercato, as split in opinions as it is right about now, added two things: 1) players who are full of potential (Álvaro Morata, Kingsley Coman); and 2) players who can add depth to the squad right away. None of the players that Juventus signed this summer are on the level of Pogba or Vidal, though — and it's not even close. Morata has potential for the future, same goes for Coman. Both Romulo and Roberto Pereyra will be solid options off the bench for Max Allegri. But in the present time, those four don't match up with the other two.
Based on what we know at this point in time and how teams were seriously interested in signing Juventus' two prized midfield possessions, it's nothing but a blessing that they're still here. And when you consider some of the prices being thrown out there, Juve would have certainly been tempted to pull the trigger on a move if any of those supposed bids became a reality.
In a way, we shouldn't be surprised that nothing Juventus-related happened on the final day of the summer transfer window outside of a loan move here or there. The players the club were linked to in the last week or two were either taken off the market (Xherdan Shaqiri) or signed somewhere else that offered them more money (Javier Hernández).
That left the media plenty of time to speculate about the futures of Juve's top players who might be available. Emphasis on might because they might not have been available on the transfer market in the first place.
Truth be told, Juventus' summer wasn't fantastic because of who they bought. No, Juventus' summer window was good because of who they kept. Sometimes keeping the band together isn't so bad — especially when the players who stayed are summer of the best European football has to offer. And no, I'm not talking about Marco Motta, people.
Nope
— Has Vidal Signed Yet (@hasvidalsigned_) September 1, 2014
I mean, sorry to disappoint. But .. nah, I'm not sorry.
