What to expect from Juventus in January transfer window after Spalletti’s appointment

Juventus will likely be busy in the winter transfer window after the appointment of Luciano Spalletti, but which players should the Bianconeri sign to match their new coach’s demands?

Spalletti has signed a contract until the end of the season, and the club has an option to extend until 2027.

The Bianconeri are currently three points below the top four and, predictably, Spalletti will need to make some changes to the existing team when the January transfer window opens.

Despite an eight-game winless streak under Igor Tudor, The Punters Page still sees the Bianconeri among the top contenders for a Champions League placement in 2025-26, but what will Spalletti need to complete the Juventus squad during the winter transfer window?

It’s no secret that Juventus aimed to sign a new central midfielder in the summer, and Morten Hjulmand of Sporting CP emerged as a credible option to strengthen the team in the middle of the park.

Spalletti wants to have reliable deep-lying playmakers in his teams, such as David Pizarro at Roma or Stanislav Lobotka at Napoli, so it is plausible that the Certaldo-born coach will ask for a new Regista in January.

Don’t forget that Manuel Locatelli already played under Spalletti with the Italy national team, but the Juventus captain was ultimately dropped from the Euro 2024 squad to make room for Nicolò Fagioli, who had just returned from a betting ban.

Even Walter Sabatini, who worked with Spalletti at Roma, suggested that the Old Lady might need to sign a new midfielder in the second part of the season.

“Spalletti is the embodiment of beauty and expansive football; every player benefits from it,” Sabatini told Gazzetta earlier this week.

“I’m convinced Koopmeiners will rediscover himself under Luciano. If I had to find a flow, maybe Juventus would need more options in midfield.”

Koopmeiners played his first game under Spalletti as a centre-back, contributing to a 2-1 win over Cremonese on Saturday.

The Dutchman was deployed as a left centre-back in a three-man defence and provided crucial help in the build-up at the Stadio Zini where Spalletti earned all three points in his first game in charge of the Old Lady.

Assuming, however, that Spalletti will restore a four-man backline in Turin, the club might need to make some additions in defence as well, especially in the full-back positions, where Andrea Cambiaso and Pierre Kalulu don’t have valuable replacements.

Right-back Joao Mario only collected 330 minutes of football across all competitions this season, while left-back Juan Cabal has recently suffered a fresh injury, and his consistent availability during the season is not guaranteed.

Regardless of any new addition, however, Juventus directors will have to cooperate and listen to their new coach’s request to avoid the same issues they faced during Igor Tudor’s brief reign at the Allianz Stadium, when the Croatian tactician’s transfer requests were largely ignored by the club.

Spalletti’s contract only runs through June 2026, and the club will decide at the end of the season whether to extend the coach’s stay for one more season, regardless of Champions League qualification.

The Tuscan tactician won the Scudetto at Napoli in the 2022-23 campaign, but has also coached Empoli, Sampdoria, Venezia, Udinese, Roma and Inter in Serie A.