8 stars Juventus signed on a free transfer in recent years
Juventus are the 9th richest club in the world and the richest club in Italy and yet when it comes to transfers, they don’t follow the well-trodden path of ‘spending big’ followed by the other European giants.
The Bianconeri have one of the best transfer strategies in place. Their scouting system is excellent and that enables them to buy players with huge potential on the cheap and sell them for huge fees later on. For example, they signed Arturo Vidal for €10.5 million in 2011 and four years later they sold him for €37 million plus up to €3 million in bonuses.
This doesn’t mean, Juventus don’t spend heavily because when they need to, they have shown that they are not reluctant to take out the cheque book. For instance, they signed Gonzalo Higuain for €90 million in 2016.
However, Juve balance their books by signing some top players on a free transfer and they have done so on numerous occasions in recent years. So here are the eight most notable free transfers made by Juventus in the last 10 years.
#8. Emre Can
Emre Can is the latest in a long line of stars to join Juventus on a free transfer.
The German International joined from Liverpool after his contract with the Merseyside club expired this summer. Although Can leaves for free, it is not because there was no desire from Liverpool to keep hold of the player.
The 24-year-old played 166 games for Liverpool while scoring 14 goals and the Liverpool fans will forever remember him for his spectacular goal against Watford in 2016/17 which won the Premier League Goal of the Season and the BBC Goal of the Season.
According to reports, Can didn’t leave Liverpool due to wage disputes. There are two theories. The first states that Can wanted a release clause in his new contract which Liverpool refused and according to the second theory, there was a disagreement with Jurgen Klopp on his best position. Apparently, Can wanted to play as the holding midfielder while Klopp believed the player’s best position was as a #8.
Whatever the reason, Liverpool have already replaced him with Naby Keita and Fabinho. As for Juventus, they have signed another top player for free and Can will compete with the likes of Miralem Pjanić, Sami Khedira, Claudio Marchisio, Blaise Matuidi and Rodrigo Bentancur.