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One of the most intriguing transfers of the summer concerns former Liverpool striker Luis Suárez. The Uruguayan is poised for a super club swap, approaching a trade to Juventus from Barcelona in a deal that appears to be at odds with the Italian club’s intention to turn the corner in its recruiting strategy.
Andrea Pirlo was announced as the club’s new head coach early last month, initially to great surprise considering his inexperience in management, let alone at the top level. However, Juventus have tried to bring in some younger faces and phase out the old guard in recent years. However, the acquisition of Suárez sees them reverting to old habits.
The 33-year-old is a genuine world-class forward and has been for the better part of a decade, but he is clearly on the decline from the heights that earned him a move to Barcelona in the first place.
Juventus’ transfer policy has had something of a retirement home theme in the past, with 42-year-old Gianluigi Buffon returning from Paris Saint-Germain, Leonardo Bonucci rejoining AC Milan, Gonzalo Higuaín signing from Napoli and now Cristiano Ronaldo. , 35, is still the star of the show.
This summer, there has been a concerted effort to oust the older members of the playing team: Higuain and Sami Khedira have been released from their contracts, while Blaise Matuidi has been sent to MLS with Inter Miami. Suarez, however, brings back the average age of any probable starting XI.
Such a recruiting strategy is completely at odds with Liverpool’s general emphasis on buying players on the younger end of the age spectrum (hence Thiago Alcantara would represent a real anomaly, if he came from Bayern Munich). The common goal of Juventus and Liverpool over the last ten years has been a Champions League title, and while the Italians have come close on a handful of occasions, it is Liverpool that have been far more successful.
If you consider that the Reds have had the same coach for the last five years and are hardly involved in politics within the club, not as much as Juventus does at the boardroom level, it paints a picture of two very clubs. different but historically successful.
The signings of Luca Pellegrini, Dejan Kulusevski and Matthijs de Ligt in the past 18 months indicate a shift in Juventus’ approach. However, it will be time before they emulate the policy that saw Liverpool hiring the likes of Naby Keïta and Andy Robertson, 23, a 25-year-old Alisson and 24-year-old Fabinho to play integral roles in the first team.
When Suarez left Anfield in 2014, he was a striker in his prime, at the top of his game and embarking on a new chapter alongside Neymar and Lionel Messi at one of the most recognized clubs in the world. By signing for Juventus, he joins another highly successful club, but whose transfer policy has seen them replace key men with players of the same age and thus not have an aging team.
It is unlikely (though by no means impossible) that Juventus will maintain their decade-long domestic dominance in Serie A for much longer. The club is in need of a transition period, and while recent activity suggests otherwise, attempts to get the club back to the straight and narrow may be in vain. Juventus seem to have turned too close to the edge of the grass and will need an update to get moving once again.
Liverpool, on the other hand, appear ready to compete for the title as long as Jürgen Klopp intends to remain at the club. Beyond that, the future still looks bright, with Michael Edwards and his recruiting team well versed in the promising players of the future.
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