The Celta Vigo fullback is pushing for a deal. Salah returns to Liverpool and could free up Fede

The starting point is the most challenging one when the winter transfer window opens: improving what you already have isn’t the easiest thing in the world if you’re trying to do it on a tight budget—or with no budget at all. The power of ideas, one might say. Or the power of opportunities—the best path to take. Juventus’s winter transfer window must rely precisely on the two variables just mentioned: the power of ideas and the power of opportunities. Hence, the Bianconeri have two open fronts, though neither is yet as well-prepared as they’d like. Two fronts, two names on which the first phase of the transfer merry-go-round is focusing: Federico Chiesa and Oscar Mingueza.

Starting with the defense, the Celta Vigo fullback is the player the club has identified to give Luciano Spalletti an extra option on the wing—a position that, until now, has relied on a single, tireless player: Pierre Kalulu. The right side, to be precise. It’s an area of the field where the Tuscan coach lacks alternatives: Kalulu hasn’t missed a single second of play between league and cup action, but expecting him to keep that up all the way through May would be too big a gamble. Hence the need that’s been discussed for some time: Joao Mario is on the fringes of the new project, while Mingueza could walk right in through the front door. Yes, Mingueza. The young player, who came up through Barcelona’s youth system starting at age eight, established himself at Celta, especially last season: the Spanish national team took notice of him as well, so much so that head coach Luis de la Fuente called him up, giving him a showcase in four appearances, including the Nations League final. Celta knows it will lose Mingueza on a free transfer next June since his contract won’t be renewed, and in five months, Juventus will be in the lead in the race to secure his services: the situation becomes more complicated if the window for a transfer narrows to just this month. Is there a chance we’ll see the former Barcelona fullback at the Continassa by the end of January? Juventus must, as mentioned, capitalize on any opportunities that arise, and this could be one of them: Mingueza is intrigued by the idea of a move to Turin; in Vigo, Aston Villa—the Premier League’s surprise package—is also keeping an eye on him. The Bianconeri would take the lead with a transfer fee—five million euros—to be paid to the Spanish club, which in turn would have to pay half of that amount to Barcelona itself, in accordance with agreements regarding the fullback’s resale. Negotiations are wide open, and a solution remains to be worked out.

Reds at a crossroads—   If the focus of the winter transfer window shifts to the attack, Federico Chiesa is waiting for news. Fede can’t do any more than this: the former Juventus player is ready to say yes to a grand homecoming with a reduced salary and the enthusiasm of someone dreaming of a fresh start and the World Cup in the U.S., should Gattuso’s Azzurri secure a spot in the playoffs at the end of March. Today, in Liverpool, Mo Salah will return, still downcast over Senegal’s elimination in the Africa Cup of Nations semifinals and called upon to dispel rumors of a move elsewhere in front of the Reds’ top brass: transfer rumors have him on the fence, but the feeling is that this isn’t the case—and if it isn’t, Chiesa can smile. The reason? Liverpool would shut down all talks with Juventus if Salah were to express such deep dissatisfaction that he asked to leave—and they’d do so for the sake of maintaining their attacking depth. The English club, however, is seeking a deal for Chiesa’s departure that goes beyond a simple loan—Juventus is aware of this—but they also know that in the winter transfer window, deals are often decided at the last minute: Federico is in a hurry and would prefer to spend his time building confidence at his former club, while Liverpool has less time to spare. Juventus finds itself in the middle of a story yet to be written—one that could culminate in a spectacular finale. Going beyond a loan isn’t simple, but it’s not impossible either: it comes down to the strength of ideas and the strength of opportunities. The two negotiations involving Mingueza and Chiesa are open—wide open.