Yet the Turin titans are eyeing up 31-year-old Raphael Guerreiro to bolster their defense to equip under-pressure manager Igor Tudor with a more competitive edge.
Tudor’s tactics have been predictable ever since his initial arrival as interim head coach in March, with his stubbornness to always play three at the back and only one target man now allowing opponents to boss games.
Although Tudor inherited a squad that was equipped for four defenders and two strikers, he has yet to entertain a change from his 3-4-2-1 tactical approach.
Five consecutive draws leave huge question marks about Tudor’s inflexibility for his starting line-ups. He has started to rotate his squad in recent weeks, but his chaotic substitutions have left huge gaps in defense and midfield for opponents to exploit.
His relentless swapping of forwards has seen a decline in fortunes, with just five goals from the trio of Jonathan David, Lois Openda and Dusan Vlahovic.
Goal poacher David has not found the back of the net since marking his Serie A debut with a goal against minnows Parma. Unorthodox Openda has yet to break his duck for Juve, while Vlahovic has bagged four goals that have all arrived after coming off the bench.
Goals drying up is what happened to Thiago Motta just before he was relieved of his duties as Juve manager. Motta’s tactics were similar to Tudor’s tenure, sticking with one formation and confusing players with his starting XI selection.
The writing was on the wall for Project Motta to come to an unceremonious end when Juventus started conceding too many goals. Fast forward seven months and Tudor, aside from the dull scoreless draw against AC Milan, is witnessing the Bianconeri ship in goals.
Tudor has time to tweak tactics
This latest international break offers the Juventus boss to rethink the way he will approach future games. Although he is a stubborn character, even to the extent of apparently not hearing the jeers from home supporters following their dismal display against Milan.
The Juve squad is lightweight in defense and midfield. While losing Vlahovic and winger Kenan Yildiz in the winter transfer window would result in the Italian giants collecting decent sums of money and trimming their wage bill, their potential departures would show a lack of long-term ambition.
A club with the stature of Juventus is expected to be fiercely competitive every season, yet under Tudor their lack of winning mentality projects a club on the slide. His appointment was underwhelming, as he was the easy and cheaper option.
Although Juve have traditionally sought players that they can hone and sell on at a profit, there could be some desperate measures in January with those boosting experience to steady the ship.
Guerreiro's Bundesliga career fading
Former Portugal international Guerreiro, who has been plying his trade in the German Bundesliga since arriving at Borussia Dortmund from Ligue 1 outfit Lorient in July 2016, is a wanted man by Juventus.
He joined Bayern Munich as a free agent on a three-year deal in 2023, earning €8 million (US$9.3m) a season, and not doubt will be seeking a new challenge before his contract expires in June 2026.
Guerreiro has bagged 40 goals from 224 appearances in a Bayern jersey, and was not in the recent squad that tackled Juventus inside Turin’s Allianz for the 4-4 Champions League thriller.
Juve are exploring both his availability and suitability, with his versatility to be used as a left-sided midfielder an added attraction for a small transfer fee in the region of just €10m (US$11.6m) in the winter transfer window.
The club are also contemplating making a move for another 31-year-old, but Manchester City’s midfield maestro Bernardo Silva is a high earner with his former club Benfica as well as Saudi Pro League sides a more viable option than underperforming Juventus.