It is not yet the most pressing problem on Juventus’s transfer desk — the goalkeeper and centre-back remain more urgent — but it is a genuine and growing one. Luciano Spalletti wants a specialist left-back capable of interpreting the role with proper defensive rigour, and the search for that player is now actively under way. The situation on that flank is more fluid and complicated than it might appear.
Cabal Is Done — But Selling Him Is Proving Difficult
The first and most certain piece of the picture is Juan Cabal. The Colombian full-back has travelled to Asia with the squad for the Hong Kong and Perth tour — but his inclusion is a matter of professional courtesy rather than any change of plan. He has been effectively ruled out of the first-team picture and will leave the club this summer. The complication is that Juventus are struggling to find a buyer willing to pay a fee that avoids a loss on the books. A permanent sale would generate fresh funds; a loan achieves little beyond a temporary wage reduction. The club will continue trying to move him permanently — but the market for Cabal has so far been underwhelming.
The Cambiaso Conundrum
Whether Juventus need one new left-back or two depends entirely on what happens with Andrea Cambiaso. The national team international has attracted significant interest from Chelsea and Barcelona all summer, but as of the squad’s departure for Asia not a single concrete offer has arrived. He remains on the market, but the market has not yet come to him.
If Cambiaso stays, Massara must find him a genuine positional partner with stronger defensive instincts — someone who provides cover and reduces the defensive exposure his attacking-oriented game occasionally creates. If Cambiaso goes, two left-back signings are required, with Theo Hernández immediately becoming the headline pursuit.
Olivera Blocked, Napoli Reject Gatti Swap
Spalletti’s personal preference was Matías Olivera of Napoli — a modern full-back capable of contributing both in the attacking and defensive phases, and even of operating as a left-sided centre-back in a back three when required. Negotiations, however, broke down when Napoli rejected the proposed swap involving Federico Gatti. With Olivera now considered unavailable short of a major change of position from the Partenopei, the search has had to broaden.
The Options: A Dream, a Realistic Target, and an Experienced Stopgap
Carlos Augusto of Inter is the dream. The Brazilian left-back is one of the best in his position in Serie A and precisely the profile Spalletti most admires. The practical possibility of Inter agreeing to sell him to a direct domestic rival is — as Tuttosport candidly acknowledges — closer to a mirage than a realistic transfer. He would only become genuinely discussable if the broader Nico González–Frattesi conversations between the two clubs opened up a more extensive trading relationship.
Juan Miranda of Bologna is a more realistic candidate. The Spanish left-back has impressed with his forward-running qualities and his ability to provide width — though Spalletti has reservations about his defensive contribution when pressed. Given Juventus’s already warm relationship with Bologna over the Lucumí and Miretti negotiations, the groundwork for a conversation exists.
Sead Kolasinac of Atalanta offers something different again: the physical presence, carisma, and defensive reliability of a genuine professional who knows how to perform in high-pressure environments. At 33 — turning 34 in January — his age is the obvious concern. But Atalanta’s modest valuation and his natural authority within a dressing room give the option more merit than pure sentimentality. Juventus are not rushing to commit, but the name is on the list.
No Urgency — but No Escaping the Necessity
The left-back question will not be resolved until Cambiaso’s situation is settled and Cabal’s exit is formalised. But with the season approaching fast, the window narrowing, and Spalletti’s requirements clear — defensive solidity first, attacking contribution second — Massara knows this is a file that cannot be left open indefinitely. The next few weeks will force his hand.
