With former Napoli manager Luciano Spalletti still yet to get the best out of his lightweight Juventus squad, despite an unbeaten run of six games at the helm, the Bianconeri are understandably weighing up options for next season.
The 66-year-old sensationally won the Scudetto by building his team around a physical center forward and a whizzy winger, as well as employing a versatile tactical approach.
Spalletti was gifted traditional no9 Dusan Vlahovic and dynamic winger Kenan Yildiz in Turin. Yet the pair could both leave Juventus in the summer, following a breakdown in contract extension negotiations.
However, Spalletti has followed Igor Tudor's one-dimensional tactics and is delivering the same lame performances. Their Champions League draw at home to Sporting Lisbon, when they dominated but were tame in front of goal, has been the only match where the Turin titans have dominated.
Spalletti will earn his money in the next few weeks as Serbia striker Vlahovic has suffered an adductor injury. He only has three other attackers to choose from but faces a dilemma because Arkadiusz Milik remains on the treatment table with a shin problem, while summer signings Jonathan David and Lois Openda have yet to adapt to the slow pace of Serie A.
Both David and Openda scored in the five-goal thriller Champions League tie at Bodo/Glimt last week, but both made little impact as second-half substitutes in Juve's win over Cagliari at the weekend.
New role for Yildiz
Spalletti could be revered as a tactical genius if he successfully introduces Turkish talent Yildiz as a center forward, a false no9 or traditional no10 while Vlahovic is missing for the rest of this year.
With three massive Serie A matches for Juve to tackle this month, by Christmas it will be revealed whether Spalletti is a Juventus hit or miss.
Ex-Bianconeri boss Antonio Conte will have his defending champions Napoli fired up to host Juventus next Sunday. Spalletti takes his troops to high-flying Bologna on 14 December, followed by a mouthwatering match against AS Roma for the 20 December showdown in Turin.
With the jury still out on Spalletti, whose deal ends next summer, and the future still uncertain over Serie A top earner Vlahovic, developments in England have alerted Juventus about a potential double swoop of Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner and his leading striker Jean-Philippe Mateta.
Glasner ticks Juve's boxes
Glasner, whose contract expires next summer, earns €4.6 million (US$5.3m) a year at the FA Cup champions. The Austrian was previously been linked with a move to Manchester United. After United ended Palace's unbeaten start to the Premier League campaign, Glasner fumed about his club's inactivity in the summer transfer market.
It appears that Glasner is prepared to walk away from the English top-flight to tackle a new challenge. He joined Palace in February 2024, and transformed the club from relegation contenders to a highly competitive and well-drilled outfit.
Glasner ticks all the boxes for Juventus, who have taken gambles on appointing Thiago Motta and Igor Tudor. Spalletti was deemed to be a safe pair of hands and a quick fix, but he is following Tudor's tactics and stuttering along.
Not demanding a huge salary, a proven winner and producing eye-catching performances makes Glasner a perfect solution for Juventus. He was highly successful at Eintracht Frankfurt, where he won the Europa League in his first season. Glasner guided the club to the German Cup final and the Champions League last 16 the following term.
A switch to Juventus for Glasner could also see him lure goal-machine Mateta, who has bagged seven goals in 13 league games and was on Juve's summer wanted list.
Waiting game for Mateta
Mateta should be part of the France squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, having notched twice in his three appearances this year. The 28-year-old is set to assess his options once he has finished tackling the World Cup finals.
His exploits prompted serious interest from Atletico Madrid, Bayern Munich, Juventus, Manchester United and Nottingham Forest last summer. With AC Milan and Juventus the two teams that are monitoring Mateta for a summer move.
Mateta joined Crystal Palace on loan from German Bundesliga side Mainz in January 2021. Despite only notching three goals in 15 appearances for the Londoners, there was sudden interest from a clutch of French top tier teams.
Palace swiftly signed Mateta in February 2021. The €10.6 million (US$12.3m) outlay for a four-and-a-half-year deal now seems like a snip.