Igor Tudor had the international break to potentially tweak his stubborn tactical approach and reassess his squad following five successive draws.
Some seemingly aimless second-half substitutes have resulted in the formation being rejigged, but left huge gaps in defense and midfield. Both sets of positions are lightweight this term.
Midfielder Teun Koopmeiners has been a Juventus flop since his marquee signing by Thiago Motta. The Netherlands international has been plagued by injuries, lacking confidence and being part of Tudor’s bizarre rotations and player swaps during matches.
He has not played for the Netherlands since March, was omitted from the past two final squads but he was called up as a late replacement for their recent World Cup qualifiers.
The 27-year-old failed to feature in their two matches, but needs to up his game at club level to stand a chance of going to the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals.
Tudor has only seen one good performance out of Koopmeiners this campaign, which was against his former team Atalanta.
His woeful displays in a Juve jersey mean that he is likely to be offloaded in the next two transfer windows for around €35 million (US$40.9m), having failed to replicate his performances for the Bergamo side.
Koopmeiners yet to click for Juve
Yet Koopmeiners could be given a new lease of life if Juventus are successful in their long-term pursuit for Italian star Sandro Tonali from Newcastle United.
The Bianconeri have tried in vain for a part cash swap, having previously offered Douglas Luiz and Dusan Vlahovic. Now Juventus have a goal to land Tonali for Koopmeiners plus €50m (US$58.4m).
The Turin titans are in need of rebuilding their midfield, with the 25-year-old on Juve’s hit list and offering a like-for-like swap could tempt the Premier League side.
Tonali tempted by AC Milan
Tonali’s tactical and technical abilities are admired across Europe, but former Juventus manager Max Allegri now at AC Milan could tempt him to sign for the club he supported as a child.
If Tudor can iron out Koopmeiners’ struggles then the audacious deal would sweeten Newcastle.
Juventus have swiftly dispensed with some of Motta’s signings, and even shotstopper Michele Di Gregorio could be gone at the end of the season. Yet Koopmeiners has been given time to improve, because of his steep transfer fee.
As he is desperate to rejuvenate his international career, then he may have to change clubs in January. A plethora of Premier League clubs and Serie A sides have recently been linked with Koopmieners.
The ball is now in Juve’s court for Tudor to help the midfielder play a more pivotal part, which could help to entice Tonali. Another huge sticking point may be the fact that unless Juventus have a shot at winning trophies then the Italian international will probably look elsewhere