Goal poacher Jonathan David’s dream start with the Turin titans resulted in scoring to help win pre-season silverware at the expense of Atalanta.
The Canada international, who arrived in early July with high expectations, has only managed to net once in seven competitive games this term.
He marked his Serie A debut with a goal against Parma, and was the preferred starter for two games on the spin by under-pressure manager Igor Tudor.
Prolific striker David signed for Juventus on a free transfer, following three highly successful seasons with LOSC Lille in Ligue 1. He bagged a phenomenal 77 goals across all competitions for the French outfit.
His goal-scoring exploits left Bianconeri fans optimistic. He enthused at his official presentation as a Juventus player: “It’s a great feeling to be part of a club like Juventus.”
David has failed to adapt to competing in Serie A, like many of last season’s arrivals under the then Juve head coach Thiago Motta. His style of play is simply not suiting the defensive pace in the Italian top tier and the tactical differences from Ligue 1 to Serie A.
Del Piero stuck the boot in
The constant rotation of strikers by Tudor has been criticized by former players who are now media pundits, including Juventus icon Alessandro Del Piero.
Tudor has been haphazardly altering his attack without success, trying to appease David, deadline day signing Lois Openda and last year’s top scorer Dusan Vlahovic.
Tudor’s only consistency is sending on at least one center forward as a substitute and relentlessly rotating his starting striker.
Bayern Munich are monitoring former RB Leipzig hot-shot Openda, who has yet to score in a Juve jersey, and unsettled Vlahovic.
Olympique Marseille boss Roberto De Zerbi, one of the managerial candidates considered by Juve to take the reins in the summer, is showing serious interest in David if things continue to go pear-shaped for the 25-year-old New York-born ace.
David shone in the French top-flight but is failing with the stuttering Italian giants. Juventus must surely be happy to cash in on a misfiring player that cost the club nothing on a five-year deal.
Upset Bianconeri strikers
With none of the strikers able to earn playing a full 90 minutes in a match under Tudor’s tactics, there is clearly a lack of confidence hanging over David, Openda and Vlahovic.
Openda is only on a season-long loan having failed to regularly find the net in the German Bundesliga last term, so was always a bit of a gamble.
Vlahovic is in the last year of his contract, but has been relegated to playing the role of supersub with all four goals this season netted after arriving off the bench.
While David has slipped from being one of Europe's most sought-after strikers to becoming an outcast in Serie A.
All three forwards appear unhappy at their constant rotation amid bizarre tactics from Tudor, despite Juventus remaining unbeaten this season in both Serie A and Champions League action.
Tudor is facing a tricky time following a remarkable run of five draws on the bounce, which last happened under manager Fabio Capello in 2006.
Como and Real Madrid next for Juve
After the international break there are daunting trips to tackle Como and Real Madrid, with Tudor urgently required to find a winning formula upfront to improve Juve’s results and secure a rare victory.
Too many draws proved the downfall of Motta, and could also cost Tudor his tenure in the Juve dugout.
David would be an attractive proposition for a swift return to Ligue 1, either in the winter or summer transfer windows, with other French clubs bound to follow ambitious Marseille in pursuing the striker.
Yet there could be a change in the Juventus dugout before January, which could instil much-needed confidence to the trio of flailing center forwards and become a career-saving move for David.