Giovanni Carnevali’s era at Juventus is beginning under a very precise financial constraint — one that leaves no room for sentiment or delay. As La Gazzetta dello Sport reports today, the new chief executive’s operating parameters are already defined by a rigid business plan set by John Elkann and Exor: the non-negotiable objective is a balanced budget by 2028, a fundamental requirement also tied to the Settlement Agreement Juventus are shortly to sign with UEFA. For the 2026-27 financial year, this translates into a clear directive: generate €100 million in capital gains through player trading by 30 June 2027.
The World Cup as a Transfer Market
Juventus have activated a pressing on Brahim Díaz as part of a broader strategy to use the World Cup as a live scouting and negotiating opportunity. With numerous targets — Sorloth, Martínez, Lucumí, Kessié, Muharemović and others — currently representing their nations in the United States, the tournament offers Carnevali and his team a unique window in which to advance conversations, observe players in real competitive conditions, and complete deals before the traditional pre-season window fully opens.
Once the new strategic plan for the sporting department has been finalised, Carnevali will formally sign his contract as chief executive — a process expected to be completed imminently.
Selling the Unsellable: Carnevali’s First Real Test
As La Gazzetta dello Sport notes, Carnevali’s greatest strength has always been his ability to sell players well. At Sassuolo he demonstrated this repeatedly with the high-value departures of Scamacca, Locatelli, Raspadori, and Frattesi. At Juventus, however, the challenge is fundamentally different: he must find buyers for players who have significantly underperformed relative to their cost — Lois Openda, Teun Koopmeiners, Michele Di Gregorio, and Jonathan David among them. Moving these players without accepting damaging losses will be his first and most consequential test.
The Asset Map: Who Can Generate the €100 Million
With Kenan Yildiz declared untouchable and identified as the cornerstone of the club’s future, Carnevali has at his disposal approximately ten players whose residual book value is significantly below their current market value — meaning that sales of these individuals would generate the capital gains Juventus require. The task is to identify the right buyers, at the right prices, in the right sequence.
The World Cup, running through July, provides the perfect backdrop in which to make that happen. For Carnevali, the tournament is not a distraction — it is the opening chapter of his Juventus story.
