Mario Mandzukic's arrival from Atlético Madrid marked the beginning of the post-Carlos Tévez era in Turin. The Argentine, who has joined Boca Juniors, fired Juventus to their fourth consecutive Scudetti last season, while playing an instrumental role in their memorable run to the UEFA Champions League final.
Not only does Mandzukic stand a healthy chance at replicating the goalscoring expenditure of the departed Argentine, but his wealth of experience at the top level should help mitigate the volume of exits at the Juventus Stadium this summer.
The departures of several experienced heads
It's not often a side who have came within touching distance of securing a historic treble experience an upheaval of the scale that Juventus have underwent this summer.
Not only did they lose three profoundly talented individuals in Carlos Tévez, Andrea Pirlo and Arturo Vidal, but they lost three leaders and, perhaps most importantly, the three players who have come to embody Juventus' most successful epoch in the club's history.
Pirlo's coveted ball-playing ability may have waned during his concluding season in Turin, but he remained emblematic of the belief that carried Juve to the final of the Champions League last term. Vidal, meanwhile, may have been chasing shadows for 75% of the domestic season, but his capacity to elevate his performance during Juventus' most decisive clashes was exemplary. The paragon of which arrived when Juventus booked their place in the Champions League final with a tenacious 1-1 draw at the Santiago Bernabeú.
Their departures, coupled with the influx of talented names at Inter Milan, AS Roma and Napoli, have added fuel to the notion that this forthcoming Serie A title race promises to be the most ambiguous since Juventus broke the Milan/Inter hegemony in 2011/12 by finishing four points clear of the Rossoneri at the top.
Granted, Juve had shown at various junctures last term that they were able to cope without the talents of both Vidal and Pirlo and have reinforced the striking department sufficiently to offset the departure of Tévez, but the trio brought the intangible qualities to the dressing room that have proven pivotal to a side's success.
Pirlo is widely regarded as the greatest Italian midfielder to grace the peninsula and many of the younger generation fortunate enough to share a dressing room with the hirsute midfielder would not dare to speak unless spoken to.
Tevez's indefatigable running, meanwhile, is infectious, and was admired by several of the younger guard for his persistent work ethic.
A seasoned figure
At 29 years of age, Mandzukic wields a wealth of experience. From a career that stretches back to 2004 - where he was handed his first-team debut at Marsonia - the Croatian has went onto represent six different sides before arriving at Juventus.
A Champions League winner with Bayern Munich in 2013, the 29-year-old was instrumental in his sides triumph, spearheading the attack while Arjen Robben, Thomas Müller and Franck Ribery burgeoned around him. Mandzukic netted twice en route to the final - including the opening goal against Juventus in their second-leg affair - and netted the opener against Borussia Dortmund in the final.
Jettisoned by Bayern shortly afterwards, however, the Croat quickly acclimatised to life under Diego Simeone at Atlético Madrid, netting the winning effort against Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup in August.
It is always a daunting task arriving into a dressing room buoyed by domestic triumph in the previous campaign. Atletico Madrid had came within a whisker of tasting Champions League glory, catalysed by the vigorous Diego Costa leading the line, and Mandzukic, confidence dented by Pep Guardiola who had deemed his surplus to requirements in Bavaria, faced the unenviable task of replicating the goal-scoring expenditure of the Spanish international.
But Mandzukic seemed to laugh in the face of adversity. He stamped his authority on the side and became the focal point of Simeone's attack. He was aware that Costa's goal outlay was unable to be replicated, and that was perhaps why Atleti had bolstered their strike force further with the addition of Antoine Griezmann from Real Sociedad.
The Frenchman, in contrast, struggled to adapt to life in the capital. Mandzukic shouldered the goalscoring burden by netting six in 13 before the winter break. Griezmann's influence became more apparent during the second half of the campaign, with the Croat playing a more reserved role.
At Juve, however, the burly forward will be surrounded by a wider, albeit youthful, array of strikers. Simone Zaza, at 24, represents the experienced head out of four, but is widely expected to play second fiddle to Alvaro Morata.
Paulo Dybala and Kingsley Coman may be talented, but they require a more seasoned striker to help alleviate the pressures of playing at the Juventus Stadium. It is why Allegri moved swiftly when it became clear that Mandzukic was seeking a move away from the Vincente Calderon. "Mandzukic is a player who has scored goals in every league he has played in," beamed the Italian coach upon his arrival.
It didn't take him long to open his account for the Old Lady, either, netting Juve's opener against Lazio in the Supercoppa on Saturday afternoon as he laid claim to his first piece of silverware in Juventus colours.
A goalscoring menace
As a towering forward, the Croat should, in theory at least, be able to operate in tandem with either of Allegri's striking options.
He formed the classic big man/little man combo alongside Griezmann at Atlético, with the pair responsible for 50% of Atleti's goals last term. Boasting a 6ft2 frame, Mandzukic gives coaches the option to go direct, and allow more nimble forwards to benefit from his harassment of defenders.
On Saturday, he was deployed alongside Coman in attack and the pair dovetailed beautifully on several occasions. Of course, the Croat is yet to feature in Serie A, but it gives you an indication of how Allegri is planning to utilise his forward.
It will be a test of Allegri's managerial credentials, as well. Beyond their evident bitter relationship, Simeone discarded the Croat because he felt that he would be unable to repeat the 28-goal season he had yielded during his farewell season at Bayern.
Should the Italian succeed in extracting the maximum from Mandzukic, he will be blessed with a forward built to blossom in Allegri's two-striker system and one fully capable of producing the goods on the famed European nights.