Juventus appear to have reached a definitive internal verdict on Edon Zhegrova’s future. His exclusion from the official UEFA Europa League squad list is the clearest possible institutional signal: in a squad already overflowing with attacking wide options — Yıldız, Boga, González, Conceição, and Alajbegovic — there is no place for the Kosovar international, and the club has no intention of creating one.
Zhegrova continues to train separately from the group as he waits for a concrete proposal. With the Saudi Arabian transfer window remaining open until 12 October, time has not entirely run out — and Al-Ittihad’s sustained interest means the most likely exit route remains available for several more weeks.
A First Season Defined by Absence Rather Than Impact
The statistics of Zhegrova’s debut campaign in black and white tell the story with painful efficiency. Twenty-eight appearances across all competitions, but only 546 total minutes on the pitch — a figure that barely exceeds six full matches. Zero goals. Zero assists. A return that, even allowing for the groin problem that disrupted his season’s second half, represents one of the more underwhelming individual records in the squad’s recent history.
His own words over the summer acknowledged the difficulty: he spoke openly about the impact of the pubalgia injury, about last season having gone badly as a direct consequence, and about his desire — genuine and clearly felt — to remain at Juventus and make amends. That desire was not matched by the opportunity.
The Goal Against Chelsea — and Why It Was Not Enough
The highlight of Zhegrova’s pre-season was the spectacular goal scored against Chelsea in Hong Kong — a moment that appeared, briefly, to change the conversation around him and re-open the possibility of a genuine first-team role under Spalletti. The manager’s response, delivered immediately after the match, was characteristically measured: “The goal is not enough — the attitude across 96 minutes is what counts.”
Even in the opening competitive fixtures against Frosinone and Parma, Zhegrova was used only as a substitute. His performances were not sufficient to convince Spalletti to incorporate him permanently into the attacking rotation — and with the arrival of Alajbegovic adding yet another layer of competition, his pathway to minutes became narrower still.
The Window That Remains Open — Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Whatever Emerges
Al-Ittihad’s interest is described as the most concrete option currently on the table — a loan with right of purchase the most likely formula. The Turkish market, which had briefly generated enquiries earlier in the summer, is also mentioned as a background possibility, though no negotiations have yet progressed to a meaningful stage. Lazio had represented a further alternative in the final days of the Italian window before pivoting to Gudmundsson.
Zhegrova wants to stay in Turin — he has said so explicitly and his intentions are genuine. But a squad in which you do not figure in the UEFA list and train separately from the group every day is not a squad in which you are staying. The Italian window is closed. The Saudi one is not. For the Kosovar winger, September and October represent his last realistic opportunity to find a football home that can give him what Juventus, for entirely understandable reasons, can no longer provide.
