Today is the day. Juventus begin their 2026-27 pre-season at the Continassa — and Luciano Spalletti is doing so without the physical, imposing centre-forward he has been requesting for months. That absence is not for want of trying. But the gap between Carnevali’s position and PSG’s demands over Randal Kolo Muani has refused to close, and as the squad assembles for the first time, the striker question remains the most glaring unresolved issue of the entire summer.
A Fee Dispute That Both Sides Must Move On
The financial landscape is brutally clear. PSG are holding firm at €50 million or above for Kolo Muani — a figure the French club feel is justified given the Ramos-to-Milan precedent set earlier this summer, which reset their internal reference points entirely. Juventus, operating within the strict financial parameters of their UEFA Settlement Agreement, have so far offered significantly less. Personal terms are not the problem: the player has already agreed a five-year contract at €5.5 million net per season. The blockage is entirely between the two clubs.
The next few days represent the final opportunity to bridge that gap. Now that the relationship between Carnevali and PSG has been repaired following the damage caused by Comolli last summer, both parties are at least communicating constructively. But constructive communication alone will not complete a transfer. PSG must come below €50 million. Juventus must raise their offer meaningfully. Without movement on both sides, the deal will not happen.
Sorloth: Ready and Waiting in the Wings
Calciomercato report that, should the Kolo Muani negotiations reach a definitive dead end, Juventus have a clearly identified alternative: Alexander Sorloth of Atletico Madrid. The Norwegian striker — whose personal terms with Juventus have been agreed since June, with a deal worth €4 million per year — remains available and continues to give the bianconeri priority. Atletico’s asking price of around €25-30 million would be considerably more manageable than PSG’s demands, and with the Norwegian international fresh from an impressive World Cup campaign, his appetite for the move to Turin has not diminished.
Sorloth was Spalletti’s first priority before the club pivoted towards Kolo Muani, and his profile — physically imposing, technically accomplished, and proven at the highest level — fits the brief the manager has consistently articulated. He would not be a consolation prize. He would be a genuine solution.
An Impatient Manager, an Urgent Deadline
Spalletti’s frustration with the pace of incoming transfer business is no longer a background concern — it is increasingly visible. He has been promised his striker. Pre-season has begun. The clock is running. Whether Carnevali and Massara can finally land Kolo Muani or pivot decisively to Sorloth in the days ahead will be one of the defining moments of the new administration’s first summer in charge. Either way, the answer must come soon.
