Thiago Motta had an impressive debut as manager, leading his team to a convincing 3-0 victory over Como. The stars of the match were the attacking players, all of whom found the net: Samuel Mbangula, surprisingly starting on the left, opened the scoring, followed by Timothy Weah and Andrea Cambiaso, who came on in the second half after Weah had to be substituted. However, there is a shadow over this success as Motta now faces challenges ahead of the next league match against Verona on Monday, September 26. Along with Weah, he will also be missing Kheprhen Thuram, significantly thinning an already limited bench and increasing the urgency to find reinforcements, especially in attack.
To address this, the club is actively seeking new players. They recently secured the signing of defender Pierre Kalulu, who arrived in Turin for medical tests. Today, Cristiano Giuntoli will try to finalize a deal for Nico Gonzalez, aiming to have him available for the match at Bentegodi. Meanwhile, Juventus has not lost interest in Francisco Conceiçao and is also considering Jadon Sancho, a long-time target for the club. This is particularly pertinent should Federico Chiesa move on.
The priority, however, remains Nico Gonzalez. Without Weah, Motta’s options are limited, with Cambiaso being the only alternative up front, alongside Danilo or Gatti in defense. Today, a meeting is scheduled between Juventus and Fiorentina, where Giuntoli hopes to resolve this transfer. Gonzalez has already agreed to a salary of €3.5 million, expressing his desire to join Juventus. The final hurdle is Fiorentina’s president, Rocco Commisso, who has not yet accepted Juventus’s €30 million offer, wanting closer to €40 million instead. To sweeten the deal, Juventus may include Arthur and Filip Kostic, who are both set to leave.
While negotiations continue, Nicolò’s absence from Fiorentina’s squad for their opening league match raises eyebrows, as they have already secured his replacement, Albert Gudmudsson. Atalanta is also eyeing Gonzalez, ready to swoop in if Juventus doesn’t act quickly, especially if they sell Lookman to PSG.
Chiesa and Sancho could form a significant part of Juventus’s transfer strategy. The Argentine could be just the first of two or even three wingers the club is keen on before the transfer window closes, particularly if Chiesa leaves. He is not part of the coach’s immediate plans, as seen by his absence from the bench against Como, and is being linked with Barcelona, where his agent is in talks.
The club is bracing for a response from Barcelona, mindful of how to spend any incoming funds, not on replacing Dusan Vlahovic but rather on another winger. Jadon Sancho is back on their radar, having been a target for several transfer windows. A last-minute loan deal could be possible if Manchester United is open to negotiations, although his high salary would need careful consideration.
Also on the radar is Conceiçao Junior, son of Sergio. Despite Porto’s resistance, his agent, Jorge Mendes, is relentlessly pursuing a deal to bring him to Turin, and both the player and Juventus remain optimistic. The situation with Teun Koopmeiners continues to develop as well, with the midfielder not training and presenting a third medical certificate. Juventus is ready to invest around €55 million plus bonuses to secure the Dutch player, seen as the final piece needed to complete their midfield. In Turin, patience is deemed a virtue as they navigate this hectic transfer period.