Jhon Lucumí Joins Juventus as Colombian Soccer Renews Its Presence in Serie A

Serie A without Juan Guillermo Cuadrado feels strange. After eleven straight years wearing Italian jerseys (Juventus, Inter Milan, Atalanta and Pisa), his future is now up in the air heading into the new season, and everything points to him being away from Serie A, the league where he won 11 titles with the Old Lady. An entire era is coming to a close.

But Colombian soccer in Italy isn't fading away, it's just changing names. This 2024-25 season, the group is made up of three defenders and one forward, with one major addition: Jhon Lucumí has a new club.

Zapata Carries the Torch

If anyone is picking up where Cuadrado left off in terms of longevity, it's Duván Zapata. The forward is now in his 15th season in Italian soccer and will return to Torino, where he'll serve as one of the captains. Since arriving at Napoli in 2013, he has racked up 127 goals across five different clubs. Last season brought just three goals in 28 matches, numbers that reflect a forward who isn't quite what he once was in his prime, but who remains a key figure in the Torino locker room.

Lucumí's Big Move

The most eye-catching transfer among Colombians in Italy belonged to Jhon Lucumí. After a strong World Cup with the Colombian national team, the center back left Bologna to sign with none other than Juventus. His excitement came through in his own words:

I'm very happy to join the biggest club in Italy. I'm truly excited. I hope to adapt quickly to my teammates and help them for the rest of the season.Jhon Lucumí

He now enters his fifth year in Serie A, with more experience and more responsibility on his shoulders. At Bologna he was the leader of a solid back line; now he'll have to show that same character in a far more demanding locker room.

He'll be joined in defense by Juan Cabal, who went through a difficult season marked by injuries and inconsistent form, which cost him playing time. There was talk of a possible exit, but for now he remains at Juventus.

Yerry Mina rounds out the group of four and is, along with Zapata, the most experienced player among them. A key piece in Cagliari's fight to stay up, he'll play his fifth season with the Sardinian club and bring something that always matters in soccer: experience. He'll also be the first to take the field, on August 22 against Parma, on the road.

Everything else kicks off the next day: Juventus visits Frosinone on August 23, and that same day Torino will host Milan at home. Four Colombians, four different stories, one league that keeps looking to Colombia to reinvent itself.