Analysing Potential Replacements for Juventus Goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon

Over recent weeks, the idea of Juventus needing to replace Gigi Buffon has become increasingly prominent—fuelled largely by the 38-year-old admitting he will likely retire following next season.

"I will try to make the next World Cup and then it may be time to close the door," Buffon told reporters at an awards ceremony back in January, per FourFourTwo.

That, of course, has led to speculation over his successor, with AC Milan’s Gianluigi Donnarumma emerging as a potential target for Bianconeri director general Giuseppe Marotta.

“Juve, Chelsea and Manchester City are courting him, but Milan do not want to lose him and will try to lock him down,” his agent, Mino Raiola, said recently, per Football Italia. “Marotta is pressing. Juventus want to find an heir to Buffon and will try to bring him to Turin at all costs.”

There's now debate over whether Juventus could indeed lure the 17-year-old goalkeeping prodigy away from San Siro, a matter discussed at length in this previous post.

Milan’s ability to return to being a relevant force is almost certainly the biggest factor, but if they do, then it is unlikely that life-long fan Donnarumma would opt to move elsewhere.

So where would that leave Juventus? What other targets are there and who would become their alternative choice to take over from Buffon?

A man who would undoubtedly feature prominently in any such discussion would be current deputy Norberto Neto. The Brazilian arrived in Turin back in July 2015, with the club’s official website revealing he had signed a four-year contract following the end of his previous deal with Fiorentina.

He had spent four-and-a-half years with the Viola, blossoming into one of the finest ‘keepers in Serie A. Joining them in January 2011, he would initially remain a backup to Artur Boruc and then Emiliano Viviano, making a total of just 14 appearances before the 2013/14 season began.

That campaign would see then-coach Vincenzo Montella make Neto his first-choice goalkeeper, a decision that was rewarded with some superb performances from the Brazil native.

Over the two subsequent years, he would help Fiorentina to successive fourth-placed finishes in the league, and he also played a major role in their progress to the semifinals of both the Coppa Italia and the UEFA Europa League.

Even his raw statistics made for impressive reading, with Fox Soccer’s figures showing that his tally of 12 clean sheets in 2013/14 was the fourth best in the league, while only four players made more saves than his total of 124.

In the following campaign, the same source showed he ranked fifth in terms of clean sheets with 10 in just 29 Serie A appearances. That consistent form prompted Juventus to sign him, much to the anger of Fiorentina fans, who felt betrayed at seeing such an important player join their most bitter rivals.

“There is no doubt that Juventus was the right choice for me,” Neto told reporters at his inaugural press conference after the deal was finalised. “Since I arrived in Italy my ambition has been to play at the very highest level, so when Juventus came in for me my mind was made up.”

Yet he has found playing time difficult to come by since then, making a mere 11 appearances for the Bianconeri thus far. He has conceded just seven goals in that time, with five of the matches he has featured in coming in the Coppa Italia, including a start in last season’s final where Juve defeated Milan 1-0.

The lack of action has seemingly frustrated the player, and Sports Mediaset (h/t Football Italia) recently linked the 27-year-old with a move to Everton or Lazio.

Should his unhappiness eventually lead to an exit, there are still a number of impressive goalkeepers Juventus could opt to bring in. Perhaps the name at the top of such a list would be Genoa’s Mattia Perin, a player who has arguably suffered more than most following the emergence of Donnarumma.

Seemingly falling behind the young Rossoneri star in the pecking order for the Italy national team, Perin’s agent has defended his client.

Matteo Roggi made his opinion abundantly clear in a recent interview with TeleGenova (h/t Football Italia):

Donnarumma has taken advantage of wearing the Milan shirt to subvert Perin in the hierarchy.

In terms of playing time, Perin deserves more. Donnarumma is a great goalkeeper, but for him to get to the level of Perin it will still take a couple of seasons.

As for Perin, he’s still only 24, in the national team he’s living in a historic time between two great goalkeepers, so he’ll have to elbow his way in but he’ll find space.

That confidence stems directly from the player’s performances over recent seasons, impressing immensely and consistently for the Grifone. Like Donnarumma, his Serie A debut came while still a teenager back in May 2011, and he's gone on to make almost 100 appearances for Genoa despite spending two seasons away on loan.

One of those campaigns was with Pescara, with the Delfini suffering a difficult top-flight campaign back in 2012/13. They were woefully undermanned and inexperienced, but Perin was arguably their best performer, single-handedly trying to prevent them being completely overrun on a weekly basis.

He made 29 appearances that season, playing behind a defence that allowed opponents a league-high 17.7 shots per game, some 2.6 more than their closest rival, according to statistics from WhoScored.com.

One match in which he could do little to stem the tide was unsurprisingly against Juventus, as the Bianconeri ran out 6-1 winners in ruthless fashion. Yet Buffon still had time to pass on some words of advice to Perin, who turned 20 on the day his Pescara side were demolished at the Stadio Adriatico.

“Buffon told me not to give up, to stay carefree and keep going,” Perin told Sky Italia (h/t Football Italia) shortly after the final whistle. “It was a horrible birthday, but meeting Buffon was the only positive thing of the night.”

Fast forward two years and Perin—back at Genoa—certainly appeared to heed that advice as Juventus travelled to the Stadio Luigi Ferraris. That day it was Buffon’s celebration that would be ruined, with his 500th Serie A appearance blighted by a loss to the Grifone as his opposite number turned in a star performance.

Keeping a clean sheet in a shock 1-0 victory for the home side, WhoScored.com’s figures show the Bianconeri managed a total of 16 shots but could not find a way past an inspired Perin.

Beyond sheer numbers, he has regularly displayed a physical strength that is often lacking in Italian goalkeepers, while his 6’ 2” (1.88m) frame and impressive leaping ability help him excel at claiming rather than punching crosses.

When unable to roll the ball out to defenders, his distribution remains poor—with WhoScored.com showing he connected with just 53 per cent of his passes last term—but his handling stands out. Perin has made full use of his superb speed and reflexes to already become a fine shot-stopper, and he has improved his footwork to make less spectacular saves.

Should Donnarumma and Neto no longer be viable alternatives, then he could arguably become the next man to wear the Juventus No. 1 shirt, continuing a legacy that passed from Dino Zoff to the likes of Stefano Tacconi and Angelo Peruzzi before being inherited by Buffon. Perin could well be next.