Juventus have drawn up a six-man striker shortlist as they prepare for life without Dusan Vlahovic – and two of the names on it have serious Premier League connections. With Vlahovic set to walk out of the Allianz Stadium as a free agent on 30 June 2026, the Bianconeri are running out of time and options, and the breadth of this list tells you exactly how uncertain their recruitment picture still is.
Vlahovic Is Leaving – And Juventus Have Known It for a While
Vlahovic has made his decision. The Serbian striker has declined to sign a new contract, and despite reports of one final meeting between his camp and the club, nobody in Turin is holding their breath. As our earlier coverage of Juventus’s striker search outlined, the club have been running parallel tracks for months – talking to Vlahovic while quietly sounding out alternatives in case those talks collapsed. They have now collapsed. Juventus need a centre-forward, they need one before pre-season, and they are not exactly swimming in financial flexibility to get it done.
Kolo Muani and Mateta Lead the Way – But Italian Media Can’t Agree Which Is Top
There is genuine confusion at the top of the list, and that itself signals how unsettled Juventus’s recruitment strategy remains. Sky Sport names Atletico Madrid’s Alexander Sorloth as the primary target following a recent meeting with his agents, while Gazzetta insists Randal Kolo Muani is the name the club really want – with PSG expected to sell the Frenchman for at least €30 million this summer.
The Kolo Muani angle has legs. The former Juventus loanee is reported to have enthusiastically accepted the idea of returning to Turin, and his familiarity with the club gives him an edge that a cold approach to Sorloth simply does not have. That level of openness from a player signals something – it significantly smooths the personal terms stage of any deal and removes one of the usual friction points in summer transfers.
Jean-Philippe Mateta is the name with the most obvious Premier League crossover, and Crystal Palace will be watching this closely. Juventus made Mateta their first January target before the move collapsed – Palace were holding out for around €35 million, which Juventus deemed too steep given their budget constraints. With Mateta’s contract running to June 2027 and no renewal in sight, Italian reports suggest the fee this summer should not significantly exceed that January figure. Crystal Palace are no strangers to transfer drama this window, and losing Mateta would represent another significant piece of the squad moving on.
The Wider List – From Nunez to Icardi, Juve Are Keeping Their Options Open
Beyond the front two names, Juventus have cast their net wide. Darwin Nunez – freed from Liverpool this summer – sits in what Italian reports describe as the ‘second row’ of targets, meaning he is an option rather than a priority. TMW also reports that Mauro Icardi of Galatasaray and PSG’s Gonçalo Ramos are being monitored, though neither feels like a straightforward fit given Juventus’s wage structure and the cost of extracting either player from their current clubs.
The Budget Is the Problem – It Always Is
Juventus are planning for at least one season outside the Champions League, and that revenue hit is shaping every conversation. It is why the January window produced nothing despite three serious striker pursuits, and it is why deals for players out of favour elsewhere – Kolo Muani at PSG, Nunez freshly released – appeal more than headline fees. Inter and Milan are reportedly circling some of the same names, which means Juventus cannot afford to drag their feet once they formally commit to a replacement.
Parallel talks with PSG and Crystal Palace are expected to intensify the moment Juventus officially close the door on a Vlahovic renewal. That meeting is coming. When it does, this transfer window is going to move fast – and Crystal Palace, PSG, and a clutch of Premier League clubs will all want to know exactly which way Juventus jump.
