Christian Vieri believes everything is in place for new Juventus head coach Maurizio Sarri to deliver success on all fronts.

Massimiliano Allegri departed at the end of last season after again failing to win the Champions League.

Former Napoli boss Sarri has arrived as Allegri’s successor, with Adrien Rabiot and Aaron Ramsey joining his squad on free transfers.

Juve have also paid an initial €75million to buy Ajax captain Matthijs de Ligt, whose arrival addresses the loss of Andrea Barzagli to retirement.

Serie A looks set to be fascinating next term with Inter appointing Antonio Conte and both AC Milan and Roma also under new leadership.

But former Italy striker Vieri, who played for Juventus in the 1996-1997 season, expects the Bianconceri’s dominance to continue.

“Juventus are already solid and have already signed De Ligt, Ramsey and Rabiot. They boast 20 other super players,” Vieri told Omnisport at the Riccione event for this year’s Bobo Summer Cup.

“They have Cristiano Ronaldo, so what are we talking about? They even signed [Gianluigi] Buffon as a reserve and for me he is still the best in the world – and Juventus signed him as a sub.

“Anything can happen, yes, but [Maurizio] Sarri will manage an already complete squad that’s already fit to win everything. How many years in a row have they won in Italy, eight or seven? Eight!

“They signed other world-class players making a statement that goes like this: ‘For the next five years we want to win everything.'”

De Ligt scored the goal that knocked Juventus out of the Champions League last term, but in 2019-20 he will be lining up for Sarri’s side.

“He’s big and young. He has a great future ahead of him,” Vieri added. “Juventus have done well to sign someone born in 1999 who can be the best defender for the next 10 to 15 years.

“They paid him a lot, but they’ve proved they’re ahead of the game. [Giorgio] Chiellini and [Leonardo] Bonucci can’t play forever, so they already have a substitute, which is very important.

“He will struggle a bit to adapt, but that’s normal. He’s young, he’s got time, we need to be patient.”

Maurizio Sarri insists he has several ways of incorporating Paulo Dybala into his plans at Juventus amid speculation about the player’s future.

Manchester United have been linked with an approach for the Argentina international, who struggled for form under Massimiliano Allegri last season.

Dybala scored just five Serie A goals, his worst return for the club, while struggling to nail down a consistent role following Cristiano Ronaldo’s arrival.

There have been questions about how he will fit into Sarri’s system, and whether Gonzalo Higuain’s return could prompt a departure, but the new Bianconeri boss has ideas in mind for Dybala.

“He could easily play in the false nine role,” Sarri said.

“We could also find different solutions. He could play as a midfielder, or as a trequartista [playmaker] behind two strikers.”

The Argentine forward is not part of Juve’s pre-season tour of Asia as he takes a break after playing in the Copa America.

Sarri took charge of the Serie A champions for the first time on Sunday and suffered a late 3-2 loss to Tottenham in the International Champions Cup.

Bouncing back could prove difficult in a Derby d’Italia date with Inter in Nanjing, although the ex-Chelsea and Napoli boss tempered expectations for a feisty encounter.

“Juventus against Inter is a game like no other,” he said. “But you will see two teams facing each other that will not be able to express themselves at their best, because of the physical conditions and given the humidity.

“We’ll try to carry on in the same manner as our initial comeback against Spurs.

“I don’t expect a big difference to that of the first game.”

Virgil van Dijk admits winning the Ballon d’Or after an exceptional season with Liverpool would be a dream come true.

No defender has claimed the award since Fabio Cannavaro in 2006, the year he lifted the World Cup with Italy, but centre-back Van Dijk is a strong contender to break the drought.

The 28-year-old shone as Liverpool won the Champions League last season and was crowned PFA Players’ Player of the Year for his part in helping the Reds finish second in the Premier League.

Already a revered figure at Anfield, Van Dijk could become the club’s second Ballon d’Or recipient after Michael Owen in 2001.

“If people are talking about it – you can’t say it doesn’t [excite you],” Van Dijk told Sky Sports.

“But it’s a subject we don’t have any influence on. I can’t change anything right now other than get fit, stay fit and that’s the situation.

“Winning something like that is a dream come true for every footballer in the world. If you don’t then you just get on with it and try to perform better than last year.

“It would be fantastic and I would be very proud.

“But the main thing will be to focus on what we do all together and achieving the bigger goal – that’s getting silverware with the club.”

Van Dijk and Liverpool are in the United States for pre-season ahead of another gruelling campaign.

The European champions must contend with the usual domestic and Champions League commitments along with a trip to Qatar for the Club World Cup in December.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp views the demands on modern players, including regular international matches and tournaments, as unsustainable.

“It looks like nobody can imagine a week without football in the year,” Klopp told reporters.

“When did that happen? A game again, a game again.

“It is difficult for the boys. Everything will be fine this season, but in the long term we have to change it. There must be breaks.

“Come on, let them go. Be brave. Don’t treat every game like it is the last of a decade.”

Antoine Griezmann will make his Barcelona debut against Chelsea after being named in the starting XI for Tuesday’s friendly in Saitama.

World Cup winner Griezmann joined the club in a €120million move earlier this month and is now set to line up alongside the likes of Gerard Pique and Sergio Busquets.

Fellow new signing Frenkie de Jong features among the substitutes, while Lionel Messi remains absent following his involvement at the Copa America.

The match is Barca’s first of a pre-season schedule that also includes games against Vissel Kobe, Arsenal and Napoli.

David Alaba admits being on Barcelona’s transfer radar is flattering but insists his focus remains on Bayern Munich.

The Austria international has been linked with a move to LaLiga champions Barca in recent days.

Reports in Germany indicate Bayern are unlikely to entertain negotiations for a player viewed as one of the finest and most versatile left-backs in the world.

Alaba joined the Bundesliga giants as a teenager in 2009 and has two seasons left to run on his contract.

“Of course, it’s an acknowledgement, it’s an honour for me,” Alaba told reporters in the United States, where Bayern are based for the International Champions Cup.

However, he added: “My focus is fully on Bayern here in America and on pre-season. I want to concentrate on the essentials.”

Bayern are set to return to Germany following their final ICC match against AC Milan in Kansas City.

Jerome Boateng will miss the clash after leaving the tour for private reasons.

Boateng had looked headed for the Allianz Arena exit towards the end of last season, but boss Niko Kovac insists the experienced centre-back will not be short on opportunities during the forthcoming campaign.

“Should he stay, which is what looks like happening right now, he will have the same chances as any other player,” Kovac said.

“He is doing very well and I am very happy with his performance so far in pre-season.”

Antonio Conte insists he never came close to making a dramatic return to Juventus before his appointment as Inter head coach.

Conte signed a three-year contract to replace Luciano Spalletti at San Siro but had been linked with a return to Juve – who he guided to three titles during his time in charge – following Massimiliano Allegri’s departure at the end of the 2018-19 season.

Maurizio Sarri was eventually appointed by the Serie A champions and prior to facing his former club in the International Champions Cup, Conte revealed he did not even speak to Juventus.

“No, I have never been close to becoming Juventus coach again,” he told a media conference. “I never received any phone call.

“It was always Inter that showed great affection and great interest in me. I feel great responsibility towards my new club and want to build something that at the moment is not there.”

Asked is Sarri was the right man for the job, Conte replied: “If Juve has taken this decision they will have had good reasons. It is not for me to judge.”

Wednesday’s game in Nanjing will be the first time Conte has faced his former club since his departure and says there will be no love lost once the game kicks off.

“There will be excitement on my part,” he said. “It is the first time I have met the Bianconeri as an opponent since my relationship with them ended.

“Seeing so many friends will be exciting but when the whistle goes it will all be over. Juve is an opponent for me and they consider me the same way.”

Inter have been heavily linked with a move for Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku during the close season, with Conte already revealing that it is his “will and hope” that a deal is struck for the Belgium international.

When asked if a potential move was any closer, Conte said: “I think that some reflections will be made then decisions will be taken for the good of Inter.

“We will take everything into account. Not only on the field but also in terms of financial fair play. Certainly, decisions can shift the balance and also expectations.”