It was not an easy summer market for Juventus. The new management of Carnevali and Massara had to work inside the narrow enclosure defined by UEFA’s restrictions, with a cascade of needs, technical and otherwise, to satisfy, as well as areas to fix. The squad’s manufacturing defects emerged quickly in this first part of the season. Luciano Spalletti has been giving everything he has, and more, to compensate for them, through daily work on the group in general and on individual players in particular.
Midfield: Solutions Found
In midfield, Spalletti has managed to find solutions that are not just sustainable but effective. The summer market did not bring a playmaker, and Locatelli’s absence has been very heavy and impactful. The manager responded by rediscovering and reviving Douglas Luiz, who seemed to be a wasted investment and is instead showing he can fit in.
The same applies to Koopmeiners. With Thuram out for a long time and Sarr to be introduced gradually, the Dutchman has been given responsibility by Spalletti and the long-awaited answers are progressively arriving. His goal at AZ Alkmaar this week was the latest sign.
Left-Back: The Answer Exists, but Cover Is Thin
With the midfield settled, pending some recoveries from the infirmary, Spalletti will look for a turning point in two other uncovered areas. One is left-back. Tuttosport says the manager already has the answer in hand, in Çelik, who can play on the right as well as on the left and quickly took a starting place.
In his absence, though, the blanket has become short. The manager can use McKennie there, but the American has also been sidelined. The displays of Cambiaso and Cabal have been inconsistent. In January the club will look for a starter, scouring what the winter window can offer. It is the thread running through the Raum, Nagida and other left-sided names discussed in recent weeks.
The Number 9 Question
The headline of the piece is about the other uncovered area. Kolo Muani and Woltemade are “promoted” for their showings in the Europa League, where Kolo Muani scored in Alkmaar and Woltemade has produced goals this autumn. But the article’s summary says that it has also been seen that often there is nobody in the opposition’s penalty area. The “misunderstanding of the true number 9,” meaning that neither player is a classic penalty-box striker, will have to be resolved on the market in January.
That diagnosis fits what several voices have argued during this period. Spalletti himself said after Lecce that the modern game favours teams with “centimetres and running,” and Gatti said this week that Juventus do not always use Kolo Muani’s athletic strengths. The board has promised Spalletti a centre-forward, with Raimondo, Kovács and Gyökeres among the names discussed.
