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5 players Juventus want to sign in January

Tottenham's Dembele has been linked with a move away for a while - could Juventus be his next club?
Tottenham's Dembele has been linked with a move away for a while - could Juventus be his next club?

Juventus spent a whopping £231m on players in the summer, and despite their best efforts to breakeven, they only managed to make around £89m from players sold - with many of the old guard leaving on free transfers (Claudio Marchisio, Gianluigi Buffon, and Stephan Lichtsteiner).

This could mean that they're now set to face some issues regarding financial fair play regulations, but if the club can make back the majority of their expenses through external profits like merchandise, ticket fees, etc., they should be in the clear, allowing them to bring in even more players in January.

Some might argue that there's not a great deal left to add to Juventus' current squad, especially when you consider how well they're doing in the league; the Old Lady currently sit in 1st place on 53 points, nine whole points ahead of Napoli in second.

However, that hasn't stopped widespread speculation regarding possible transfers; so in this list, we'll take a look at five players Juventus have been linked with for January and determine just how probable they are.


#5 Juan Mata (Manchester United)

Manchester United v FK Rostov - UEFA Europa League Round of 16: Second Leg
Manchester United v FK Rostov - UEFA Europa League Round of 16: Second Leg

Juan Mata is a 30-year-old attacking midfielder who plays for Manchester United in the Premier League. He has also featured for Spain's national team, having made 41 appearances since his debut back in March 2009.

Mata is a product of Real Madrid's youth academy, where he rose through the ranks over the span of three years, before making the switch to Real Madrid Castilla (Madrid's B team).

However, within a year Mata was transferred to Valencia on a free. Here is where he rose to prominence, consolidating his position in Valencia's set-up over the years and showcasing to the world what he was capable of.

This caught the attention of Chelsea, amongst other Premier League clubs, who jumped at the opportunity to sign him in the summer of 2011 for around £25m. He made 34 appearances in his first season for the Blues under Jose Mourinho, scoring six times.

He would continue his great form over the next couple of seasons, before deciding to jump ship, joining Manchester United in January 2014 for around £40m. Louis van Gaal was the United manager at the time.

With Juan Mata's contract set to expire next June, could he be heading to Juventus?

Rumour probability: 5/10

According to Calciomercato.com, both Juventus and Arsenal are fighting for the Spaniard's signature right now. Mata had played under Unai Emery at Valencia, which makes a switch to the Emirates all the more likely, but the prospect of joining a club as prestigious as Juventus could also be very tempting.

Because of this, Mata's next club could be anyone's guess. He hasn't said anything about the speculation as of writing, but we'll find out next month what he'll choose to do.

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