Juventus Pursues Premier League Striker Mateta for Transfer Window
Juventus have drawn a clear line in this transfer window: Luciano Spalletti wants a true physical No 9, and the club are scouring the Premier League to find him.
According to reports from Italy, the Bianconeri are working through a shortlist that stretches across England, with profiles carefully filtered to match Spalletti’s demand for a more direct, imposing presence up front. Joshua Zirkzee has attracted attention, but he is only one name in a wider search being driven by sporting director Frederic Massara, who is weighing every option against a tight budget and a crowded squad list.
Mateta steps forward
Into that landscape steps Jean-Philippe Mateta.
La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that the Crystal Palace striker has re-emerged as a serious candidate after offering his services to Juventus. It is a bold move from the Frenchman, who is tied to Selhurst Park until June 2027 but is ready to test the market following a change in the dugout at Palace.
Mateta brings exactly the sort of profile Juventus have been missing: size, strength, and a penalty-box presence that can pin centre-backs and open lanes for runners around him. The club are monitoring his situation closely, aware that his willingness to move could tilt negotiations in their favour if Palace decide to reshuffle their attack under new management.
For now, Mateta sits near the top of a list, not alone on it.
Young forwards on the radar
Juventus have also cast their net wider across Europe’s younger forwards. Among the names being tracked are Nottingham Forest’s Arnaud Kalimuendo and Newcastle United’s Nick Woltemade, both viewed as emerging talents with room to grow at a top club.
They are not exclusive targets. Napoli and other leading sides have also taken notice, adding competitive tension to any talks. That makes timing and price even more critical for Massara, who must judge whether to move aggressively or wait for the market to blink.
The idea is clear: deepen the attacking pool, inject freshness and physicality, and give Spalletti different weapons for a long season. The reality is trickier. Every potential arrival crashes into the same wall — money and space.
One out before one in
Before Juventus can push any deal over the line, they must clear room. Financially and in the dressing room.
An outgoing move for Canadian forward Jonathan David is seen as a key step. His departure is described as essential for the club to unlock the funds and squad slot needed to bring in a new centre-forward. Until that situation is resolved, Juventus can study, call, and negotiate, but they cannot fully commit.
So the clock ticks. The window edges towards its final days, and the strategy tightens: offload first, then strike.
If Massara can engineer the exits in time, Spalletti could yet start the new campaign with the bruising, penalty-area focal point he has been asking for. If not, Juventus risk entering the season still searching for the kind of forward who can turn half-chances into points — and title ambitions into something more concrete.
