Juventus have completed a fresh addition to their midfield, confirming the signing of a 22 year old who spent time on loan at Liverpool last season.
The Serie A side moved to secure the services of a player who came through Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy before eventually finding her way to England and back again.
She departs Chelsea on a permanent basis after two years at Stamford Bridge yielded limited opportunities under Sonia Bompastor.
Julia Bartel arrives at Juventus having signed a deal that runs until 30 June 2029.
She will wear the number 14 shirt for the Bianconere.
Bartel’s route to Turin has been anything but straightforward.
Born in Castellbisbal on 18 May 2004, she rose through the youth ranks at Espanyol before switching to Barcelona, where she made her senior debut in June 2021 at just 17 years old, becoming the fourth youngest debutant in the club’s history.
She won Liga F and the UEFA Women’s Champions League during her time in Catalonia, mostly starring for Barcelona B while contributing to the senior side’s silverware.
Chelsea signed her in 2024, but she struggled to break into the first team picture, managing just two Champions League appearances.
To build match sharpness, she was loaned to Liverpool for the second half of the 2024/25 season, where she featured five times in the WSL, though all of those appearances came from the bench.
A more productive loan spell followed at Atletico Madrid last season, where she made 27 appearances in Liga F, scored five goals and added an assist as the club finished fifth.
Her international pedigree is equally impressive.
Bartel has represented Spain at every youth level from the Under 16s through to the Under 23s, winning two Under 19 European Championships and one Under 20 World Cup along the way.
She was named in the official Team of the Tournament at the 2022 U20 World Cup and repeated that feat at the 2023 U19 Euros, having played every single minute of that competition.
At Juventus, Bartel steps in to help replace Lia Walti, who recently completed her own move to Brighton in the WSL.
Juventus finished third in Serie A last season and were eliminated from the Women’s Champions League at the knockout stage play offs by Wolfsburg, so there is clear scope for a player of Bartel’s profile to make an immediate impact.
Described as a dynamic midfielder with a sharp footballing brain, Bartel combines composed ball control with the ability to push into advanced areas while still tracking back diligently.
That blend of energy and quality is exactly what Juventus have targeted as they look to strengthen their midfield options heading into the new campaign.
For Liverpool fans who saw her briefly in red last season, her move to Juventus marks the next step in what is shaping up to be a promising career.