Here by popular demand, we’ve had a lot of comments asking us to take a look at either Antonio Conte’s first or last 7 signings as Juventus manager. Conte arrived at Juventus already as a club legend from his playing days, and he cemented that reputation by doing a magnificent job as the clubs manager.
When he arrived from Siena in 2011, Juve had finished 7th in each of the last two seasons, meaning he didn’t even have any European football to contend with in his debut campaign.
That is an aberration by Juventus standards, and Conte quickly put things right. He rung the changes, and the arrival of Andrea Pirlo would probably prove to be his shrewdest acquisition. Juve went from 7th place to title winners, and they’ve won the league in every season since.
Conte himself left the club in 2014 to take charge of the Italian national team, before becoming the Chelsea boss from 2016 to 2018, where he won one Premier League title and one FA Cup. Today we’re interested in Conte’s last signings before becoming Italy boss, but I should point out that loan deals and part-ownership deals aren’t taken into account, only full transfers.
Here are Antonio Conte’s last 7 Juventus signings: Where are they now?
7. Angelo Ogbonna – West Ham
Antonio Conte’s last signing as Juventus manager was Italian international centre-back Angelo Ogbonna. Playing for Juve’s crosstown rivals Torino at the time, Ogbonna had earnt rave reviews for his formidable performances at the Stadio Olimpico, and he set Juve back a potential €15 million. Despite a back three of Andrea Barzagli, Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci forming the backbone of Juventus’ side under both Antonio Conte and Massimo Allegri, Ogbonna still managed to make 55 appearances in two seasons with the club.
He transferred to West Ham in a deal worth €11 million in 2015, but he’s been a little error-prone for the Hammers, and I’m not sure he’d make Manuel Pellegrini’s strongest XI with everyone fit.
6. Fernando Llorente – Tottenham Hotspur
Fernando Llorente of Tottenham Hotspur looks on during the Tottenham Hotspur Training Session at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on March 28, 2019 in London, England.
Brought to Juve by Antonio Conte on a free transfer, which brought an end to a nine year stay in Bilbao, Fernando Llorente had a very impressive debut campaign in Turin. The Spanish international bagged 18 goals in 45 games, but only 9 in 45 the following season under Massimo Allegri. A brief stint at Sevilla followed, before an equally brief but far more impressive season at Swansea.
Mauricio Pochettino brought the then 32-year-old to Tottenham for just over £12 million in 2017, for the unenviable task of rivalling Harry Kane up front. Llorente is no Kane, and he’s managed just 2 goals in 30 Premier League games for Spurs, although he has managed a creditable 10 goals in 14 games for the club in all other competitions.
5. Carlos Tevez – Boca Juniors
The final signing of Antonio Conte’s last summer in charge at the Allianz Stadium, Carlos Tevez brought an end to a seven-year stay in England, a six-year stay in Manchester and a four-year stay at Manchester City when he signed for Juventus in 2013. The fee was reported to be just £12 million, a bargain for a player of Tevez’s calibre, but he was on big money, his last two seasons hadn’t been his best and he had just one year left on his contract at the Etihad.
He signed a three-year deal in Turin but only stuck around for two. Tevez was excellent, being named as Juventus’ Player of the Season in both of those campaigns, making in the Serie A Team of the Season twice, making the Europa League Team of the Season once and being named as Serie A’s Player of the Season in his final campaign.
There was some shock then when Tevez cut him time at Juve short in 2015 and agreed a return to Boca Juniors, where he accomplished his boyhood dream of helping the club win a league title. A lucrative but unsuccessful spell in China followed, but the 35-year-old is now back at Boca.
4. Rubinho – Avai
Fernando Rubens Rubinho the goalkeeper of Us Citta di Palermo reacts during the pre season friendly match between Us Citta di Palermo and Fenerbahce at Stadio Renzo Barbera on August 21,…
Not to be confused with former Brazil and Real Madrid star Robinho who now plays for Istanbul Basaksehir, Rubinho is a 36-year-old who has spent most of his career as a second choice goalkeeper. Three years as a regular at Genoa is probably the highlight of Rubinho’s career, and he joined Juve from Palermo in 2012. The experienced Brazilian registered just two league appearances in four years, and is now contracted to Avai back in his native Brazil.
3. Lucio – Brasiliense
One of Brazil’s most formidable centre-backs in modern history at least, the decision to leave Inter Milan and linkup with Antonio Conte at Juventus was probably the biggest mistake Lucio ever made. Having been a star man and nailed on first team starter in an Inter side which won a historic treble in 2010, Lucio found himself playing second fiddle to Chiellini, Barzagli and Bonucci in Turin. He played four games in one season and soon found himself returning to Brazil. Now aged 40, Lucio is now playing for Brasiliense in the fourth tier of Brazilian football.
2. Nicola Leali – Foggia
Nicola Leali of Foggia Calcio 1920 in action during the Serie B match between Ascoli Calcio 1898 FC and Foggia Calcio 1920 at Stadio Cino e Lillo Del Duca on February 26, 2019 in Ascoli…
The second goalkeeper in this seven, Nicola Leali joined Juve from Brescia for just under €4 million in 2012. He spent six seasons contracted to the club, going out on-loan seven times and never registering a first team appearance. The former Italian youth international is now 26, and he’s currently on-loan once again, this time at Serie B side Foggia, with his parent club being fellow Serie B outfit Perugia.
1. Paul Pogba – Manchester United
Whilst the order of this seven is purely chronological, it would probably be fair to say we saved the best until last. Paul Pogba was an inspired signing by Antonio Conte, not just giving the club four years of stellar service having arrived for a nominal fee, but then pocketing them close to £90 million in what was then a world record fee.
Pogba has since experienced mixed fortunes at Manchester United, but reached the final of Euro 2016 and won the 2018 World Cup with France. Having fallen out of favour under Jose Mourinho, Pogba has since made quite the resurgence under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, showing the type of performances we all know he is capable of – but his future at Old Trafford remains unclear.
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