Juventus Didn’t Scramble for a New Center-Forward Late | OneFootball

Juventus took their pursuit of a physical no.9 down to the wire, but it doesn’t appear that they were close to landing any of them on deadline day. The most tangible target was Randal Kolo Muani. PSG wouldn’t have stood in their way had they convinced Tottenham to rescind their loan midseason, but it didn’t happen.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Luciano Spalletti asked for a precise addition in the role but will have to settle for a couple of depth pieces, Emil Holm and Jeremie Boga. They will lengthen the rotations, potentially leading to some experiments, like deploying Weston McKennie as a striker.

Juventus have been attached to Jean-Philippe Mateta up until deadline day, but they didn’t pounce on him after Milan reneged on the deal. They had tried to acquire him with different conditions, on loan with a conditional obligation to buy. Instead, Crystal Palace were adamant about an outright purchase.

The Bianconeri fielded calls for Mauro Icardi, who already played under Spalletti, and Alexander Sorloth. In the end, they weren’t particularly active on deadline day. Instead, the summer one yielded Lois Openda and Edon Zhegrova. Their reinforcement at the position will eventually be Dusan Vlahovic. He’ll be back from thigh surgery in March. If he shows well, his extension talks could potentially reopen.

Our Take on Juventus

Some variety would have helped, but since the squad is functioning well, and considering the results of their previous late signings, staying the course isn’t terrible. They didn’t have much to spend, and Vlahovic’s salary is still on their books, which limits their firepower. All things considered, the best possible outcome would have been nabbing Sorloth on loan.