Juventus flex muscles in season-changing January transfer window

ROME : Maurizio Arrivabene is either an expert bluffer, or the Juventus CEO is as surprised as the rest of Italy at the outstanding success of his club's January transfer window.

In mid-December, Arrivabene was asked about the Turin club's plans for the winter window.

"We don't necessarily need to do anything. I'm predicting a January market that is neither interesting nor demanding," he said.

Fast forward to Feb. 1, and Juve's ranks now include Serie A's joint-top scorer Dusan Vlahovic and a much-needed midfield ball-winner in Denis Zakaria.

What's more, the Turin club offloaded high-earning midfielder Aaron Ramsey on loan to Rangers, and sold squad players Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur to Tottenham Hotspur for handsome fees.

It was not just an 'interesting' market, but one that sent a statement to the rest of Serie A.

VLAHOVIC FEVER

The Vlahovic deal was the truly earth-shaking move of the month, one which propelled Juventus from being viewed as top-four hopefuls to outside title contenders.

A deal worth up to 80 million euros ($90.14 million) was agreed with Fiorentina, the biggest deal of the transfer window.

The 22-year-old Serbia international's arrival produced giddy excitement among Bianconeri fans - not to mention club legends.

"Vlahovic is the greatest, most surprising signing. He's the best youngster in the world, along with Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe," former Juve goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon told Gazzetta dello Sport on Friday.

Vlahovic was not just a big name, but a warning to Juve's major domestic rivals, as his arrival provided an immediate solution to the biggest problem with Massimiliano Allegri's side: a lack of goals.

The Old Lady have scored the 11th-highest number in Serie A this season,