What Signings To Expect From Juventus In The January Transfer Window

With the January transfer window set to open next week, there is little doubt that Juventus are expected to bolster their squad and provide some new signings to help continue Thiago Motta’s revolution of the side.

The Coach has slowly begun to implement his style of play upon a team that had been mired in mediocrity prior to his arrival, and there have been undeniably mixed results over the first few months of his tenure.

Victories like the one over Manchester City – a performance discussed at length in this previous column – have been all too rare, with the team picking up too many draws and too many injuries.

Juventus season beset by draws and injuries

Indeed, the Bianconeri remain the only unbeaten side in Serie A, but they have alarmingly been held to just seven wins while drawing no fewer than 10 times in their first 17 games of 2024/25.

They have advanced to the quarterfinals of the Coppa Italia and are set to face Empoli in February, while their six UEFA Champions League outings have seen them record three wins, two more draws and one defeat.

Juve’s most recent outing against Monza saw them without Danilo and Tim Weah who had picked up knocks, putting them on the sidelines with long-term absentees Gleison Bremer, Juan Cabal, Douglas Luiz and Arkadiusz Milik, and it is this group that will likely drive their activity in the upcoming transfer window.

Juventus need to sign a defender

With Bremer and Cabal expected to miss the rest of the campaign, the Bianconeri backline has been struggling, the selection problems for Motta being made worse by the slight issues affecting both Danilo and the highly coveted Andrea Cambiaso.

Those problems have seen midfielders Manuel Locatelli and Weston McKennie pressed into service as emergency defensive cover, leaving little doubt that the club will be adding at least one defender in January.

The first name to be linked with a move to Turin following Bremer’s injury was former Inter defender Milan Skriniar, who was a top tier defender during his time in Italy. When his contract at San Siro expired in the summer of 2023, the Slovakia international opted to join PSG, and that move has not panned out for him.

Skriniar has managed just five appearances so far this term, making him an obvious candidate, while a number of reports – including this one – insist that Juventus have sent scouts to Brazil in order to gather more information on Flamengo defender Léo Ortiz if the pursuit of Skriniar fails.

However, over the past few days, a third option has materialised. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Juventus have already made contact with Feyenoord defender David Hancko’s representatives.

The Italian newspaper also reports that the 27-year-old is ready to request a transfer, and that his current side will be looking for a fee of around €30 million ($31.21 million) in order to complete a move that Juve director Cristiano Giuntoli has admitted is a possibility.

“We are looking around,” the club official told DAZN this past weekend. “Hancko is a good player we’ve been checking out for a while, he is not the only one, but we certainly need to do something for the defence,”

Hancko – who can play at left-back or in central defence – spent a spell with Fiorentina and is exactly the kind of technical player Motta’s system requires. Indeed, according to FbRef.com, he has recorded 38 progressive carries, 162 progressive passes and 77 ball recoveries over his 17 appearances so far this term.

Juventus need an alternative to Dusan Vlahovic

At the opposite end of the field, Milik’s continued absence has prompted speculation that a striker will be added during January, with a number of alternatives suggested by well-connected sources close to the club.

Juventus expert and Gazzetta dello Sport columnist Fabiana Della Valle has identified Giacomo Raspadori and Lorenzo Lucca as options, both fitting the bill as a backup for Vlahovic.

Raspadori has struggled to make an impact at Napoli under Antonio Conte, making just two league starts this season while the 6’ 7” Lucca — who is expected to cost around €20 million ($20.21 million) has netted five goals in 17 appearances for Udinese.