Any honest assessment of Juventus’s summer transfer window must begin with the inheritance that Giovanni Carnevali and Frederic Massara walked into in June: a squad overflowing with surplus players on exorbitant salaries that most Serie A clubs — and not only them — could not even begin to contemplate matching. That uncomfortable context is the prism through which every subsequent decision should be judged. Against that backdrop, the two stated objectives were clear: increase the squad’s competitive depth and navigate the FFP constraints without triggering a financial incident.
The Key Statistic: 189 Centimetres Average Height Across Nine Signings
Mission partially accomplished — and one number captures the philosophy of the rebuild more clearly than any other. The nine players who have arrived at the Continassa this summer — Ekhator, Çelik, Kolo Muani, Alajbegovic, Lucumí, Vicario, Grabara, Pape Sarr, and Woltemade — have an average height of 189 centimetres. The figure is influenced by the giant German from Newcastle and the two imposing goalkeepers Vicario (194cm) and Grabara (195cm), but the message is unambiguous regardless. Juventus had a squad that created attacking situations without converting them — a team built on possession and passing that failed too often to translate its territorial dominance into goals. More centimetres, more physicality, and better aerial presence — on crosses, at set pieces, and in defensive duels — was the deliberate and consistent thread running through every acquisition.
The analysis is reinforced by the direct comparison with what was replaced. Lucumí and Çelik will contribute far more physical authority than their predecessors. Kolo Muani and Woltemade are, in theory, considerably more dangerous from crosses and set pieces than David and Openda.
Spalletti Has Got What He Asked For — Two Players Per Position
Spalletti wanted two players for every position. He has been given them. In some positions — defence and the attacking midfield zone specifically — there are actually three options, not all of them functional to the system. Between Rugani and Gatti, one is simply one too many. With the confirmed presence of Nico González, Zhegrova has become entirely superfluous.
In attack, paradoxically, the squad is actually shorter than it might appear — given Ekhator’s muscle tear and Milik’s persistent fragility. But across the rest of the squad, the guarantee of two credible options per role is real and represents a meaningful improvement on what Spalletti inherited.
Çelik as the Emblem of Massara’s Approach
The article identifies Çelik as the most unexpectedly successful signing of the summer — a player acquired to provide a quality alternative to Kalulu at right-back who has become, within the first two competitive matches, a fully credible first-choice starter on the opposite flank. His performances against Frosinone and Parma have already validated the free-transfer acquisition’s football intelligence. When Cambiaso is absent — as looks likely against Milan given his ankle sprain — Spalletti does not need to reach for emergency solutions. That alone represents progress.
Cabal: Still Has Time — but Must Earn His List Place
Juan Cabal’s situation receives a specific and pointed assessment. He has not demonstrated sufficient maturity and reliability to justify a starting role for Juventus. Between now and January, markets in Turkey, the Netherlands, and Saudi Arabia remain open — and a departure remains possible. But if he stays, he must earn his place on the Europa League and Serie A registration lists. The squad, Pirisi notes, remains incomplete in its character profile: Spalletti will need time to shape Woltemade into a genuine penalty-box threat, and the 4-2-3-1 may not remain the tactical constant it has been. The integration of Sarr and Alajbegovic — two intriguing unknowns — will be central to defining what this Juventus actually becomes. The summer has been rational. The season will determine whether rationality, in the end, is enough.
