Juventus Have Made Progress in the Transfer Window - But Signing Luis Suarez Is a Step in the Wrong Direction

Juventus are in the midst of an identity crisis.

The year 2019 saw the end of Massimiliano Allegri and his pragmatic but unequivocally successful calcio, and the beginning of a brave new world in Turin. That bold era lasted just over 12 months however, as Maurizio Sarri seemingly left his irresistible and revolutionary football in Naples.

I Bianconeri limped to title success, but failed to win any other major trophy, crashing out of the Champions League in catastrophic fashion at the hands of Lyon in the round of 16.

Next in the firing line is Andrea Pirlo, a man who represents everything this club stands for - or used to, anyway.

Pirlo's class and integrity on and off the pitch is the epitome of how every club wishes to be perceived - especially one with such a damaged reputation as Juventus. Having recovered from the Calciopoli scandal almost 15 years ago, La Vecchia Signora has rebuilt from the ground up and become a shining example of how to create infinite success.

Juve's major plaudits have arrived in their transfer market dealings, where they've landed bargain after bargain, producing one of the finest Italian sides in history.

However, it's safe to say they have lost their way in recent years.

Opportunistic free transfers have taken priority over specific, targeted recruitment to strengthen certain areas of the team, and the new tendency to select marquee signings like Cristiano Ronaldo and Matthijs de Ligt has left them with an extremely bloated, ageing and costly squad.

It seemed that the Juve hierarchy had finally learned their lesson this summer, however. Blaise Matuidi and Miralem Pjanic were both sold, while Gonzalo Higuain, Aaron Ramsey and Sami Khedira were all expected to leave. Out with the old, in with the young.

But just as the Old Lady could almost bear the sight of her reflection once more, she's only gone and given in to her dirty habits of old. A big name became free on the transfer market, and blinded by the lights and the marketing opportunities of capturing a global superstar, Juve have sent the astronomical wage bill rocketing yet again.

Luis Suarez. The 33-year-old, who endured his worst season as a Barcelona player last year, is set to join I Bianconeri on a free transfer this summer. Sigh.

For the Juve marketing team and Serie A as a whole, this is an exciting move. The Uruguayan is celebrated all over the planet, and having played his football at Europe's summit for a number of years, his shirts will sell like hot chips in every country.

Not to mention, his arrival would spark one of the most famous front three's in the game. Ronaldo, Paulo Dybala and Suarez. Enough to strike fear into the heart of any defender worth his salt.

Five years ago, maybe.

Granted, Dybala is probably hitting his prime right now, but his two cohorts are well past their best, and time is not on their side. And that's the problem. It may be a famous attacking trident, but it is not a deadly one.

There are no doubts that this trio will rip apart every whipping boy that Serie A throws up this season, and every team in the bottom half of the league will probably be on the end of a shellacking or two at their experienced and clinical hands.

But that's old news. Juventus have the fire power to sweep aside most teams in Italy, with or without the incoming Suarez. Pirlo would have been hoping for his scouts to single out a man who they believe possesses the ability, character and potential to take Juve to the promised land of Champions League glory, helping them cross the line which they have failed to surpass this century.

Last year's statistics will not fill the Italian coach with too much hope, then.

Recurring injuries restricted Suarez to only 16 goals in La Liga last season, and in a team which includes Lionel Messi, that's nothing to brag about. In fact, it was his worst return for the club since his maiden campaign, although he managed the same tally in less appearances in 2015, and provided six assists to boot.

If Barcelona's recent European humiliation is anything to go by, then the Uruguay international certainly isn't the man they need. Nor is Edin Dzeko, who has been waiting for a number of weeks for his move from AS Roma to be given the green light. Another ageing striker whose years at the top are limited, the Bosnian must be counting his lucky stars that Italy's number one team is prepared to pay him handsomely to play backup in Turin.

It all feels very, very odd.

Juve have taken a couple of huge steps forward with their recent intentions in the transfer window, but Suarez's arrival would send them straight back to square one, as this miserable cycle of spontaneous money-spinning schemes begins another loop.