There was a time when Pierre Kalulu was the subject of controversy at Juventus — or at least in the corner of the internet where supporters process their feelings. The summer of 2024: his move from Milan had just been announced, and the French defender posted on social media specifying that he was “a player on loan” from the Rossoneri. Technically impeccable. Emotionally poorly received. But to understand it, you need to reconstruct the context. For Juventus, Kalulu had been Plan C — after the negotiations for Calafiori and then Todibo had both failed. Kalulu himself took some convincing to leave Milan, the club where he had grown up and won a Scudetto. It was the persistence of Giuntoli and Thiago Motta that ultimately proved decisive. A different world — the beginning of a different story. Two years later, that story has been rewritten from first page to last.
The Man the Supporters Love Most
The snapshot that captures where things stand now comes from the gates of the Continassa on Saturday morning — Kalulu appearing outside the training ground to give himself to the embrace of the supporters. The thermometer of the fanbase is consistently stable: he is one of the most acclaimed, a point of reference. Partly because of his natural approachability — a recently opened YouTube channel documenting the behind-the-scenes of his life, participation in challenges with social media influencers, and a willingness to engage directly with those who mention him. He is naturally likeable, and people identify with him easily.
But above all, there is the pitch. In the past season, Pierre Kalulu was by a considerable distance the most utilised player in the squad — 4,381 minutes of competitive action, more than any other player. Not merely irreplaceable for want of alternatives. Irreplaceable because of attentiveness and precision in defensive coverage, a growing contribution in the attacking phases, one of the best crossers in the squad, and the tactical intelligence to know when to cut inside and offer Conceição the isolation he needs on the right, and when to hold his position and provide the cover that gives the whole structure its balance.
Against Parma, he timed late runs into the area on at least two occasions without being found by Douglas Luiz or Locatelli. The options are there. The capacity to produce them is real. And that is precisely why he plays every week — even now that Çelik has arrived and been repositioned on the left.
The One Knot to Untie: His Wages Do Not Reflect His Worth
With the transfer window now closed, the Kalulu renewal has risen to the top of Massara’s priority list. It is, on both sides, a matter of when rather than whether.
The issue is straightforward. Kalulu earns approximately €2.5 million net per season on a contract running until June 2029. In the context of his contribution — 4,381 minutes, the squad’s most important outfield player by availability and consistency — that figure places him in the upper bracket of the wage structure whilst sitting below the level his performance and centrality truly justify. He knows it. His entourage knows it. Carnevali and Massara know it too.
Conversations will begin imminently — after today’s match against Milan. There is great openness on all sides, and the direction of travel is entirely clear: an upward revision to a contract befitting a top player who is the first name on Massara’s renewal list. Doing it proactively, before rival clubs have the opportunity to make noise, is the intelligent approach — and intelligence has been the defining quality of how this new administration has managed every significant decision since June. Tonight Kalulu steps out against his former club as a leader and as an irreplaceable component of the new Juventus. The paperwork, in the weeks that follow, will confirm what the performances have already established beyond doubt.
