Cristiano Giuntoli arrived at Juventus with a strong reputation at the start of last season, having played a key role in Napoli’s Serie A triumph.
He achieved that success by signing high-quality players for the Partenopei, which enabled them to finally secure another league title.
The Bianconeri were confident they had appointed a top-class sporting director. His first major task was to offload surplus players from the squad, which he managed in his first summer in charge.
Following that, he needed to recruit the right talent after overseeing a managerial change at the end of the previous campaign.
Juventus invested heavily in the summer to strengthen their squad, with Giuntoli staking his reputation on the team’s success. He worked alongside Thiago Motta to revamp the midfield, yet only a handful of the new arrivals have delivered strong performances.
Motta has since been sacked for failing to get the best out of his team, and the former midfielder is well aware that his dismissal was justified.
Now, Giuntoli must prove his worth as sporting director, but his signings are falling short of expectations.
He spent nearly €100 million in the summer to sign Douglas Luiz and Teun Koopmeiners, yet neither player has lived up to the hype.
Both were standout performers at their previous clubs, generating excitement among Juve fans when they arrived in Turin. However, since joining the Allianz Stadium, they have struggled for form and have failed to elevate the team’s performances.
On the positive side, Khephren Thuram and Michele Di Gregorio have shown promise and are expected to continue improving.
However, Nicolas González, Francisco Conceição, and Juan Cabal have yet to prove they are of the required standard for Juventus.
The club remains determined to finish the season strongly with the latest serie a betting putting Juve among the favourites for a top-four finish and while that is still possible, Giuntoli faces scrutiny over the effectiveness of his signings.
In January, he refreshed the squad with the additions of Randal Kolo Muani, Renato Veiga, Lloyd Kelly, and Alberto Costa.
Kolo Muani made a bright start, but his form has since declined dramatically, leaving him in poor shape at a crucial stage of the season.
Meanwhile, Lloyd Kelly’s arrival has raised questions, with many wondering why the club sold Dean Huijsen only to replace him with a defender of lesser quality.
Costa was highly sought-after, and Juventus fended off competition to secure his signature, yet he is struggling to break into the team.
Giuntoli arrived in Turin with a stellar reputation, but unless his signings begin to deliver, he risks seeing that reputation fade.
