Pierre Kalulu has been the subject of a significant and unexpected update from the Continassa this morning. According to Tuttosport and confirmed by Calciomercato, the French centre-back — who was previously described as the one untouchable player in Juventus’s defensive rethink — could in fact be sold if the right offer arrives.
The message from the club is calibrated but clear: Kalulu is valued, but he is not beyond price. Juventus have set an asking price of €50 million — a figure that signals genuine intent to listen rather than a figure designed to end conversations before they begin. It is, as Calciomercato describes it, a possibility rather than a priority — but a meaningful indication that the club’s defensive plans are more fluid than previously presented.
Why This Is Surprising
As recently as May, Juventus were publicly declaring Kalulu the cornerstone of their defensive rebuild — the one player, above all others in the backline, whose future was entirely secure regardless of which way the summer transfer window moved. He was contrasted explicitly with Gleison Bremer, Federico Gatti, and Lloyd Kelly as the one defender around whom the new structure would be built.
His performances last season justified that assessment. Kalulu was arguably Juventus’s most consistent outfield player throughout 2025-26, logging 49 appearances and 4,381 minutes — more than any other player in the squad — at a consistently high level. His contract, renewed until 2030 on improved terms of €3.5 million per season, appeared to confirm that assessment in the most tangible possible way.
What Has Changed
The answer lies in the financial mathematics of the UEFA Settlement Agreement. With Carnevali under pressure to generate €100 million in capital gains by June 2027, and with several of the club’s more straightforward sales proving complicated — Koopmeiners, Douglas Luiz, and Lois Openda have all struggled to attract satisfactory offers — the club has been compelled to reassess which assets carry genuine market value.
Kalulu, at 25 and with a long contract, exceptional recent form, and an established Premier League scouting interest, is one of the few players in the squad who could command a truly significant fee in the current market. At €50 million — a figure that would represent one of the largest sales in Juventus’s recent history — the capital gain implications are immediate and substantial.
Who Is Interested
The primary interest is understood to come from the Premier League, where several clubs made enquiries earlier in the summer and were given no encouragement at the time. With the club’s position now subtly but meaningfully revised, those conversations could be revived. Chelsea, Manchester United, and Arsenal have all been mentioned at various points in connection with Kalulu — clubs capable of matching a €50 million valuation without financial difficulty.
Carnevali’s Calculation
For Carnevali, this is the Sassuolo method in its purest expression: no player is sacred if the right price is offered and the right replacement can be found at a lower cost. With Muharemović’s imminent arrival providing a defensive alternative at approximately €9 million net, the possibility of simultaneously generating €50 million from Kalulu’s sale whilst replacing him at a fraction of the cost represents precisely the kind of commercially disciplined thinking that defined Carnevali’s career in Emilia. The question is whether any club is willing to pay the asking price — and whether Spalletti, who has always spoken of Kalulu in the warmest terms, can be persuaded to part with a player he genuinely relies upon.
