Juventus are already scenting fear among Serie A rivals after their recent return to the top flight.
"I've heard that teams are starting to fear us and that can only be a positive sign," coach Claudio Ranieri said Wednesday at the Juve training camp in the hills above Turin.
"I can assure people we're going to be a thorn in everyone's side and we'll try to get as high as we can".
Ranieri was cheered by the overnight news that former European Footballer of the Year Pavel Nedved is putting his retirement off for another year.
Juve officials said Czech legend Nedved, who will be 35 next month, had agreed to a one-year extension, but they gave no details of the deal.
CEO Jean Claude Blanc, however, said Nedved was very happy with the terms.
"We want to give Ranieri players who are not just good but also properly motivated," he said.
Ranieri, meanwhile, said Juve's defence was "fine as it is," denying Spanish media reports that the 27-time Italian champs were trying to lure World Footballer of the Year Fabio Cannavaro back from Real Madrid.
Portugal midfielder Tiago, a new signing from French giants Lyon, was gung-ho about his prospects of glory at Juve.
"The only thing I have left to win is the Champions League. That can't come this year, of course, but next year it will," said the former Chelsea and Benfica star.
The 27-year-old's arrival has completed a strong midfield now that Juve has persuaded Italy star Mauro Camoranesi to stay.
The Serie B champs - who spent one year down below because of the Calciopoli scandal - have also bought Empoli's Argentine midfielder Sergio Bernardo Almiron.
Former Italy midfielder Cristiano Zanetti and talented winger Marco Marchionni are already on board.
Things are looking good up front too, thanks to the arrival of Vincenzo Iaquinta, a member of Italy's World Cup-winning squad, from Udinese.
Iaquinta will form a strike partnership with captain Alessandro Del Piero and France forward David Trezeguet, who has signed a four-year extension.
Juve have strengthened their defence by signing Czech international Zdenek Grygera from Ajax and Italy Under-21 player Domenico Criscito from Genoa.
Another defender on the shopping list is Real Zaragoza's highly rated Argentine star Gabriel Milito.
Juventus did their best business of the summer earlier this month when they extended the contract of Gianluigi Buffon, widely considered the best goalkeeper in the world, until 2012.
