The long international break has delivered Luciano Spalletti several encouraging notes on the performances of his players with their national teams. In the final days of the pause alone, Koopmeiners scored against Serbia — from an unusual central defensive position — while Zhegrova also found the net, and Conceição was a key figure in Portugal’s Nations League qualification despite a late red card against Norway. But between here and January, the club intends to remain vigilant in the market — with a specific aim of adding players capable of increasing the squad’s experience and leadership quotient.
The Problem — Thuram and Locatelli Out Until 2027
The rationale for a January midfield reinforcement is structural and well established. Khéphren Thuram and Manuel Locatelli — both victims of serious injuries — will not be available to Spalletti until the early months of 2027 at the earliest. Until then, McKennie and Douglas Luiz are being asked to work extraordinary overtime, with Sarr and the experimental Cambiaso deployment as alternative solutions. The gap is real and the January window is the earliest point at which it can be addressed through the market.
The Target — Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, Captain of Marseille and Denmark
The player identified by Gazzetta dello Sport — sourced from the Juventus sporting area — is Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, born in 1995, currently captain of Olympique Marseille and the Danish national team. He remained in France despite the Marseille club’s severe financial difficulties — a club in genuine economic crisis — and despite a near-concluded transfer to Newcastle that ultimately did not materialise. He is a player who has chosen institutional loyalty over personal convenience in difficult circumstances: a detail about character that Juventus, building precisely around this dimension, will not have missed.
His contract runs until 2028. The valuation set by Marseille — €15 million — is described by Gazzetta as representing a genuine opportunity for any club needing his specific profile: an established, physically imposing, tactically intelligent central midfielder who can impose himself on matches from the base of the structure, provides natural leadership, and brings the kind of experience that has repeatedly been identified as the gap in Spalletti’s current squad. Juventus failed to secure Goretzka — who went to Aston Villa — and Kessié — who returned to Atalanta — during the summer. Højbjerg represents the next attempt to fill the same profile.
The Financing Mechanism — Koopmeiners Out, Højbjerg In
Carnevali, Ottolini, and Massara are fully aware that any January reinforcement must be accompanied by a corresponding exit. The books must balance under UEFA Settlement Agreement constraints. The name mentioned in connection with a possible departure to finance the Højbjerg approach is, as the Gazzetta reporting confirms, Koopmeiners. The Dutch midfielder’s situation has been documented throughout this session — on a three-month trial period to prove himself, with January as the decision point. His goal against Serbia from central defence adds a mildly complicating footnote to the narrative, but does not alter the fundamental assessment that Spalletti has not yet found in him the player who takes the team on his shoulders.
The Competition — Milan and Premier League Clubs Also Monitoring
Juventus are not alone. Several Premier League clubs remain attentive to Højbjerg’s availability, as they have been since the Marseille crisis deepened. In Italy, Milan had sounded out the possibility of adding him alongside Modrić and Rabiot during the summer, but list congestion and the failure to complete necessary outgoing transfers in time pushed the move back. A renewed approach in the coming months is possible. The race for a midfielder who combines experience, physicality, and genuine leadership — and who is available for €15 million — will not be quiet or simple for any of the clubs involved.
