Juventus keen to sign new midfielder in January: Former Spurs man remains the favourite | OneFootball

Juventus remain vigorous in their attempts to land a new deep-lying midfielder next month, as Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg remains at the top of the shortlist.

The Bianconeri only have limited numbers in the middle of the park, and none of them is capable of interpreting the Regista role, at least the way Luciano Spalletti envisions it.

Manuel Locatelli has been operating in front of the backline since he arrived at the club in 2021. But while his distribution has arguably improved, the manager remains unconvinced by his ability to interpret this role, as the team’s tempo remains noticeably slow.

Hence, Spalletti is keen to recruit a natural Regista capable of enhancing the rhythm and adding flair to the midfield.

Juventus determined to recruit Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg

According to Il Corriere di Torino (via TuttoJuve), the Serie A giants are still eyeing a move for Hojbjerg, whom they consider their No.1 target for the role.

Juventus have been pursuing the Dane for years, and they were reportedly close to signing him in January 2024, before ultimately securing Carlos Alcaraz from Southampton.

(Photo by Mateo Villalba Sanchez/Getty Images)

Instead, Hojbjerg ended up joining Olympique Marseille in the summer of 2024, initially on loan, before sealing a permanent transfer to the Ligue 1 giants last July.

Signing Hojbjerg in January remains a tall order

The former Bayern Munich and Southampton midfielder is currently considered an absolute pillar in Roberto De Zerbi’s system, so Marseille have no desire to negotiate a sale, especially in the middle of the campaign.

Therefore, Juventus are certainly facing an uphill task, so they have to adjourn their plans to the summer, when they might stand a better chance at landing the Danish international, or turn their attention to a fallback option, who can boost the club’s hopes of clinching a Champions League spot at the end of the season.