OFFICIALLY OFFICIAL: Juventus Women sign goalkeeper Pauline Peyraud-Magnin

We’ve known for a couple of weeks that Juventus Women will have a new starting goalkeeper come the start of the 2021-22 season. Laura Giuliani, the stalwart in goal ever since Juventus started a women’s team four years ago, decided that a new adventure — likely one that involves playing in Milan — is in order, thus creating space for somebody else to take over the No. 1 jersey.

And while Giuliani’s replacement won’t be wearing No. 1, she’s officially landed in Turin.

Pauline Peyraud-Magnin is officially Juventus Women’s first signing of the summer, as the 29-year-old French goalkeeper has put pen to paper on a contract with the four-time defending Serie A Femminile champions. Not only will Peyraud-Magnin be taking over in goal for Giuliani, but she will be reunited with her former manager at Arsenal, Joe Montemurro, who was hired as Juventus Women’s manager last month.

Peyraud-Magnin, who has 15 caps for France after making her senior team debut in 2019, played last season with Atletico Madrid. She will wear the No. 16.

Peyraud-Magnin played for Montemurro at Arsenal where the two won the FA Women’s Super League trophy in 2018. She also previously played for Lyon and was part of their Women’s Champions League-winning side in 2017. Peyraud-Magnin moved to Atletico Madrid in 2020 after Montemurro, who had a handful of keepers during his time at Arsenal, decided to go another direction. Atleti’s season was a tough one a year ago, and Peyraud-Magnin appeared in 21 of their 34 games.

As the spring weeks went on, Peyraud-Magnin turned out to be the only goalkeeper regularly linked with a move to Juventus. That only continued once Giuliani’s departure was confirmed and Montemurro was hired. And considering that it was clear Juve were going to sign an experienced goalkeeper to take over for Giuliani, somebody who Montemurro was familiar with only seemed like the natural way to go.

Peyraud-Magnin will now be charged with continuing the exemplarily play Juve has had at the back for all four years of their title run. They’re the gold standard in both attack and defense, putting up shutout after shutout for four years running. During the 2020-21 season, Juventus Woman allowed all of 10 goals and recorded a goal differential of plus-65 in 22 games.