Serie A 2019-20: Ideal starting XI for Juventus this season
It is a new era at Juventus, with Maurizio Sarri taking the managerial helm in place of Massimiliano Allegri after five years of total domestic dominance by the latter.
With Serie A invincibility all but guaranteed, it is the continent where the perennial Scudetto champions have their attention turned, as they have borne a long 22-year wait for European glory.
The Bianconeri have realized as much, spending adequately in the transfer market to bring in quality players including the highly rated Matthijs de Ligt and Luca Pellegrini. There have also been requisite high-profile free transfers, with talented players like Aaron Ramsey, Adrian Rabiot and Gianluigi Buffon all arriving at Turin for nothing.
Given the quality of players at his disposal, Sarri would have no excuse not to bring European glory to the club.
While the 60-year-old holds all the authority to decide who starts for Juventus and the preferred tactics, here we attempt to construct the Bianconeri's ideal starting XI for next season.
Goalkeeper
Wojciech Szczesny
After eight seasons with Arsenal in the Premier League, Wojciech Szczesny signed for Juventus in the summer of 2017.
The 29-year-old spent his first season in Italy as understudy to the legendary Gianluigi Buffon, but the iconic shot-stopper's departure to PSG in 2018 paved the way for Szczesny to become a mainstay between the sticks for Juventus.
He performed admirably, making 41 appearances in all competitions as the Turin giants retained their Serie A title and made it to the last eight of the Champions League.
Buffon's return to Italy after just one season in France might suggest that Scczesny might lose his starting shirt, but that is highly unlikely as the Word Cup winner is no longer the force of nature he was. Moreover, the insertion of an eight-game Serie A clause in his Juventus contract (to break Paulo Maldini's record for most games in Serie A history) is indicative that Buffon himself knows he won't be first choice at the club.