Jeff Ekhator arrived at the Continassa with enthusiasm, charisma, and a childhood idol who played in black and white: Moise Kean. As the only genuinely new face in a pre-season squad populated by unhappy players desperate to leave, uncertain surplus assets, and senior figures still processing the disappointments of last season, the 20-year-old Italian Under-21 international has immediately become the focal point of a fanbase starved of something fresh to believe in.
Tomorrow’s friendly against Basilea could provide Ekhator’s first real opportunity to make his case — and he is expected to start. The whole of Turin will be watching.
Spalletti Is Positive — But the Market Will Decide His Fate
The early signs from training have been encouraging. Spalletti has spoken warmly of the young forward in internal discussions, and his first impressions of the player — signed from Genoa for €16 million rising to €18 million with bonuses — are described as more than positive. Whether that translates into a permanent place in the first-team squad for 2026-27, however, is a question the market rather than the training pitch will ultimately answer.
The reason is straightforward. Juventus are pursuing two senior attacking additions — a first-choice centre-forward, ideally Kolo Muani, and a second striking option, with Pellegrino’s deal now at an advanced stage. With those two arrivals and David still potentially remaining in the squad, there may simply be no room for Ekhator as a first-team player. The third attacking slot will go to either Ekhator or David — and if David cannot be moved on, Ekhator’s position becomes untenable. The two situations are directly and unavoidably interconnected.
The Basilea Starting Line-Up — and Thuram’s Absence
Ekhator will start in Friday’s friendly alongside Jérémie Boga and one of Openda, Miretti, or Zhegrova — with Yıldız and Francisco Conceição both absent from this particular fixture as part of managed post-World Cup reintegration. In midfield, Manuel Locatelli, Andrea Cambiaso, Douglas Luiz, and Joao Mário are all expected to feature as Spalletti assesses his options across the squad.
Khéphren Thuram, however, will not be involved. The French midfielder’s patellofemoral syndrome in his right knee — already disclosed earlier in the week — is requiring a bespoke recovery protocol involving ice, compression bandaging, gym-based rehabilitation, and potentially targeted injections into the affected area of the joint. The club are not optimistic he will be available for the following friendly against Standard Liège either. The concern is not merely short-term: an injury of this nature, if mismanaged, carries the risk of extending to the cartilage — a complication Juventus can ill afford, given that Thuram remains one of the players most likely to generate a significant transfer fee to help fund the Kessié pursuit and offset the financial impact of another season without Champions League revenue.
