Reading the Juventus Squad on the First Day of Training

TURIN, THURSDAY – Juventus held its first training session at Continassa, attended by most of the players who will strengthen the "Bianconeri" squad in the 2025-2026 Serie A Italy league. However, the Juventus squad is not yet final as there are still several target players under negotiation, as well as players who will be released.

The hunt for a striker is Juventus' primary target, despite already having Jonathan David. Attack is one area Juventus coach Igor Tudor is looking to strengthen. They currently have David, who left Lille on a free transfer.

The Canadian striker has become a crucial asset following the reported release of Dusan Vlahovic. The Serbian striker's manager, Darko Ristic, arrived in Turin on Thursday (July 24, 2025), according to La Gazzetta dello Sport, to clarify Vlahovic's status.

Vlahovic, who was recruited by Juventus from Fiorentina in January 2022 for a transfer fee of 70 million euros, is considered one of the failed transfers. After an impressive start during the 2020-2021 season and the first half of the 2021-2022 season with 38 goals in 58 Serie A matches for Fiorentina, his goal productivity at Juventus has declined.

In the 2022-2023 season, he only scored 10 goals in 27 Serie A matches. Then, in the following season, he was quite sharp with 16 goals in 33 matches, but last season he only netted 10 goals in 29 matches. Despite his limited productivity, Vlahovic remains the top scorer for Juventus in Serie A for the 2024-2025 season.

Juventus' goal machine last season was aided by a loan player from Paris Saint-Germain, Randal Kolo Muani, who scored eight goals in 16 league matches. The 19-year-old winger Kenan Yildiz also became an important asset with seven goals.

The condition in this frontline reveals the most crucial area that needs to be addressed by Juventus. Therefore, the Bianconeri are pursuing a sharper attacking player. They are currently believed to be working to acquire Muani. Negotiations with PSG are also ongoing.

However, according to a report by La Gazzetta, PSG is demanding a transfer fee of 45 million euros for Muani. The challenge of securing Muani is growing. This is because this week, football transfer expert Fabrizio Romano revealed that Manchester United is also prepared to sign Muani if negotiations with Juventus fail.

Therefore, to acquire Muani, Juventus needs to generate funds by releasing several players, possibly including Vlahovic. However, Vlahovic may also remain at Juventus to complete his final season.

Midfielder Douglas Luiz has been absent from training, which could put him at risk of sanctions from Juventus.

However, the arrival of Coach Darko Ristic indicates that there is an important situation that needs to be resolved. The developing situation links Vlahovic with AC Milan to join Massimiliano Allegri, his coach upon arriving at Juventus.

Negotiations between the two clubs are believed to still be ongoing, with the main focus on the transfer fee and salary reduction. Vlahovic's valuation is around 20 million euros, but the biggest obstacle is the salary of 12 million euros, which is approximately Rp 229.4 billion.

Despite being in an unclear situation, Vlahovic was still present in the Juventus squad that conducted its first training session at Continassa on Thursday afternoon local time. Most of the players attended the training, including Yildiz, Pierre Kalulu, Lloyd Kelly, Khephren Thuram, Arzadiusz Milik, Teun Koopmeiners, and several young players.

Winger Joao Mario, who is in the process of finalizing his transfer from FC Porto, also arrived. On Juventus' official website, photos of Mario undergoing a medical examination were posted. He also met with Bianconeri supporters to take photos and sign autographs.

Mario's arrival is crucial in the playing pattern under Tudor, who prefers three defensive players. He needs a winger like Mario, who is aggressive in attack. Furthermore, with his playing experience, he can also contribute solidly in defensive transitions.

Meanwhile, the new striker, Jonathan David, has not yet joined. The Canadian player is still completing legal documents. The Portuguese winger, Francisco Conceicao, has also not joined due to an extended holiday while finalizing his transfer documents from FC Porto.

Meanwhile, midfielder Douglas Luiz was absent from training, putting him at risk of sanctions from Juventus. The Brazilian player is also believed to be leaving Continassa following interest from English clubs, including West Ham United, Everton, and Liverpool. The transfer fee requested by Juventus for the 27-year-old player is 40 million euros, equivalent to approximately 766.8 billion rupiah.

During this transfer season, Juventus has also confirmed that defender Federico Gatti will remain with the club after extending his contract until 2030. "I am very happy to renew my contract with this club, which feels like a second family to me. It is truly amazing," said Gatti on Juventus' official website.

"This must be a new beginning. Now, I have to work hard because we need to get back on the winning track as soon as possible. Last season was a long and tough one for me. However, personally, it was a great season. I want to start again with my best performance, forget about the injuries, and return to 110 percent condition to give everything for this club," said Gatti.