Fernando Llorente wore the bianconero shirt between 2013 and 2015, played under Antonio Conte in his finest domestic period, and scored at the Allianz Stadium alongside Carlos Tevez in one of the most ruthlessly effective attacking partnerships Turin has seen in recent decades. He speaks to Gazzetta’s Gianluca Minchiotti on the morning of the Celta Vigo match, and his assessment covers every dimension of the current squad’s identity — and its most pressing gaps.
“I Had Tevez Alongside Me. Kolo Muani Doesn’t — But He Can Still Score 20 Goals This Season”
The most practically revealing passage of the interview is the Tevez comparison, deployed not to diminish Kolo Muani but to explain the specific mechanical difference. “From a striker’s perspective, I understand the point about Kolo Muani — it is easier to play with another forward alongside you. But I had Carlos Tevez. He doesn’t.” The observation reframes Kolo Muani’s difficulties not as a failure of talent but as a structural absence: without a partner of Tevez’s magnetic draw and goal-threat at the highest level, the conditions around the French striker are inevitably more demanding. And yet — Llorente’s confidence is explicit and unconditional: “I have known the Frenchman for many years. He is not a goal-hoarder, but I am convinced he can reach 20 goals this season. I believe it and above all I wish it for the good of Juventus. Without a striker who scores with consistency it becomes hard to fight for trophies.”
On the Cagliari goal and what it unlocks: “The real season for Kolo Muani begins now that he has unblocked himself in the league too. Trust me. A goal is confidence — it is everything for a striker.”
“Woltemade and Kolo Can Work Together — But the German Must Use His Physique More”
On the Woltemade dimension specifically: “They can work in combination, provided the German makes more use of his physique to hold the ball and win duels. Sometimes Woltemade seems technically sound but a little lightweight.” The assessment converges precisely with Spalletti’s private concern — a 198cm player who plays less physically than his frame would suggest — and with Gazzetta’s own characterisation of a striker who drifts from the area looking to combine rather than dominating the defensive line.
“If I Can Dream: Raphinha at Juventus”
The single most quotable line for the transfer market narrative: “If I can dream, then I imagine Raphinha of Barcelona at Juventus. A total attacker — he scores and he galvanises his teammates. He is ferocious.” The Catalan winger’s contract situation at Barcelona, the club’s financial difficulties, and his own sky-high market value make this genuinely speculative rather than operationally realistic for January. But Llorente names him as the archetypal profile of what Spalletti’s system needs alongside Kolo Muani: a player of explosive energy and goalscoring intent who creates as much by his movement and intensity as by his technical ability.
“Conte Will Return — He Will Come Home to the Squad of His Heart”
The most institutionally resonant passage. “Only to one team — the squad of his heart. Sooner or later he will come home. He is the ideal manager for Juventus.” Llorente worked under Conte and Ancelotti and rates both as the finest coaches of his career: “Antonio is a top manager. He and Ancelotti are the best I have had.” The Conte-to-Juventus narrative — fuelled all season by his Festival dello Sport appearance, his year of rest, and his pointed refusal to deny interest in a return — receives here the endorsement of a player who knows both the institution and the man from the inside.
“McKennie Has Something of Vidal — But Arturo Was a Monster, Another Category”
On the American midfielder’s role in the squad’s competitive identity: “McKennie has something of Vidal — he runs, he chases, he scores. But Arturo was a monster. Another category entirely. I have never seen anyone like him before and I haven’t seen anyone like him since.”
