Juventus are preparing to return to the market in January to provide Luciano Spalletti with a genuine number nine. Tuttosport’s reporting — relayed and confirmed by Calciomercato.com — is unambiguous about the internal consensus: manager and sporting direction agree on the need to add an offensive partner for Randal Kolo Muani, completing what is increasingly resembling a 4-4-2 system in which the wide players work the touchline and then have the licence to cut inside.
The Tactical Context — The Cagliari Evidence
The rationale emerges directly from what was seen on Sunday at the Unipol Domus. Kolo Muani’s header, and the improved second-half performance that preceded it, both arrived after Woltemade’s introduction changed the defensive dynamic the striker was operating against. The French centre-forward himself confirmed the mechanism: with Woltemade on the pitch, the defenders were frightened, he could move more freely, and chances were created. The profile being sought does not necessarily need to be a pure centre-forward — but it must at minimum approximate the characteristics of Nico González as a second striker. The Kolo Muani-González combination is currently the most effective pairing Spalletti has available, and the January signing would provide a third option at that level of quality and intensity.
Why the Current Options Are Insufficient
Nick Woltemade is not functioning as the direct attacking presence the squad needs. Gazzetta’s earlier verdict — “nine-and-a-half rather than nine, tendency to drift from the area, limited aerial presence despite the 198cm frame” — has been confirmed by Spalletti’s own use of him: as an impact player who creates space for others rather than a goalscorer in his own right. He is not being written off — but the diagnosis is clear. Jeff Ekhator, whose arrival from Genoa in August was supposed to provide the explosive wide-forward option, remains unavailable with the muscle injuries that have kept him out of competitive football entirely. Yıldız returns in December — but he too is more a nine-and-a-half than a nine.
The Names That Got Away — and Who Is Being Looked at Now
The summer’s two nearest misses are named directly: Josha Zirkzee of Manchester United, and Alexander Sørloth of Atletico Madrid — described as “the closest to Spalletti’s wishes” of any striker target considered across the summer. Sørloth ultimately stayed in Madrid. Zirkzee remained at Old Trafford. Both remain available in various forms — Zirkzee with his limited minutes at Manchester United and Sørloth at Atletico with the situation under constant monitoring — and both remain on a list that also includes Retegui, Balogun, and Raimondo, per the Gazzetta reporting from earlier this week. The January window does not offer the same range or quality of options as the summer — but the promise made to Spalletti is specific and now public: a genuine number nine will be delivered.
