Bianconeri boss Luciano Spalletti has instilled Juve's winning mentality into his lightweight squad, having collected seven victories from his past eight outings.
Only the league defeat at Antonio Conte's polished Napoli, when Juventus were outplayed and outwitted in arguably their worse 45 minutes this century, has spoiled a perfect record for the former Italy manager.
Spalletti's squad lacks depth and top quality, plus a plethora of injuries has deprived the 66-year-old of being able to field his favored starters. Yet at this stage of the season, and with the 2025 AFCON taking place, it is pretty much a level playing field with other Serie A sides short of their best players.
Defensively the Bianconeri have started to look more solid, having been shaky under Igor Tudor whose one-dimensional tactics were simply too predictable for opponents. Spalletti made a slow start to life at the Turin titans, with the proverbial game of two halves becoming apparent.
Surprisingly Spalletti has stuck with a back three, favored by Tudor, although that may be because of the glut of injuries in defense. Teun Koopmeiners was used as a makeshift defender, while Lloyd Kelly has come on leaps and bounds under the new head coach.
Juve could lose Vlahovic and Yildiz
Although the Bianconeri are seeking defensive reinforcements during next month's transfer window, it is at the other end of the pitch that Spalletti faces problems. His two shining lights, Vlahovic and whizzy winger Kenan Yildiz, could be off in January.
Vlahovic's contract expires in the summer, with both Barcelona and defending Premier League champions Liverpool interested in the Serbia ace despite his absence from action until early March. He recently underwent surgery in London for his high grade adductor injury.
Should the 25-year-old not be sold next month, it appears that the club's top scorer every season since arriving as a marquee signing from Fiorentina in January 2022, then being reunited with former Juventus manager Max Allegri at AC Milan in the summer beckons.
Yildiz has a clutch of European giants monitoring his availability, with Manchester United the most viable destination in the winter transfer window. While clubs in England, Germany and Spain are likely to begin a bidding war for the 20-year-old in the summer, should Yildiz not make a winter move.
Goal poacher Jonathan David and deadline day signing Lois Openda may have recently found the back of the net, but neither has adapted to the Italian top tier and are struggling. Spalletti has little faith in the pair, and without Vlahovic could turn to former fan favorites.
Spalletti prepares for Milk return
Arkadiusz Milik, who has not played a competitive game for Juventus since his knee injury while representing Poland in June 2024, has been on the bench for the Bianconeri in their past two matches.
The 31-year-old veteran suffered a string of continuous injuries, but could soon be given the vote of confidence by Spalletti as he used to offer a significant threat to Serie A opponents.
Although Tudor wanted to loan Milik out, there were no takers. The club renewed his contract until 2027, reducing his salary, and he could soon sport a Juve jersey to become part of Spalletti's plans as he seems a much better asset than both David and Openda.
Federico Chiesa, who was sold to Liverpool by former Juventus manager Thiago Motta in 2024, has continuously only played a bit part for the Reds. He has been nothing more than a rotation figure, and always expressed a desire to return to the Turin titans.
Chiesa spent four seasons with the Bianconeri, and could be tempted to make a return next month to revitalize both Juve's scoring issues and his career. Juventus are considering the return of their former Italy international.
Real's Garcia interests Juventus
The only other center forward currently on Juve's radar is Real Madrid's 21-year-old Gonzalo Garcia. He signed a contract in August that expires in 2030, with a ridiculous release clause of one billion euros.
Garcia has dazzled in his 13 La Liga appearances this season, which has drawn attention from European clubs that include Aston Villa and Leeds United. A short-term loan seems the only solution, as Real do not wish to relinquish a player on a long-term basis that they believe to be already be veering on world class.
The familar sight of Chiesa on the wing and Milik spearheading the attack could be a reality that kicks off a new era under Spalletti, and would allow Juventus to cash in by offloading David next month.