Life at Juventus has been far from a bed of roses for head coach Luciano Spalletti, having picked up two wins and a hat-trick of draws.
The former Napoli manager has surprisingly persisted with three defenders and a lone target man. Apart from the home Champions League clash against Sporting Lisbon, which ended with a statement, the Bianconeri have failed to deliver a strong performance.
Both of Spalletti's triumphs have been strange affairs, which each ended up being the proverbial game of two halves. Cremonese were defeated 2-1 in his opening match, while the 66-year-old rotated his squad in their last-gasp Champions League success at Bodo/Glimt in Norway.
Juventus keep playing second fiddle and lack rhythm, especially in midfield. So it comes as no surprise that the fallen Italian giants are keen to bolster their squad in January with Hungarian Alex Toth and Swiss star Grant Xhaka among their priority signings.
Juventus target in-demand Toth
Central midfielder Toth has recently been linked with German Bundesliga sides
Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig.
Juventus have joined the chase to secure the signature of Ferencvárosi TC's standout player, who is valued at a bargain price of just €5 million (US$5.8m).
The 20-year-old only joined the Hungarian club in January 2024, signing a deal that expires in June 2027.
Capped nine times by Hungary, he kicked off his domestic season with two strikes and a couple of goal assists in his first appearance. His finishing skills and creativity appear to be exactly what Juve could do with to tackle the second half of their Serie A campaign.
Xhada switch to Juve has barriers
The Bianconeri have also renewed interest in Xhaka, the Sunderland defensive midfielder. Juventus considered signing the veteran during the summer, only for negotiations to break down.
Juventus remain interested in Xhaka, who is close to 150 caps for Switzerland. They have been monitoring the 33-year-old since he returned to the Premier League in July. The former Arsenal ace signed for newly promoted Sunderland from Bayern Leverkusen for €12m (US$13.9m).
Sunderland have been the surprise package in the English top tier this term, but will lose up to seven players for 2025 African Cup of Nations (21 December-18 January).
The club are not planning to add Xhaka to the winter transfer list, although would listen to offers of at least €15m (US$17.4m) given his age. Yet cautious Juventus are unlikely to fork out big bucks on a player who only has two to three years left at the highest level, which makes swooping for talented Toth a no-brainer if they can fend off rivals to secure the youngster's signature.