This Sunday, Juventus play their final home game of the season as they host Fiorentina for the penultimate fixture of their Serie A campaign.
The Old Lady’s form since the turn of this year has been enviable, to say the least. Luciano Spalletti’s men remain unbeaten in the league since losing at home to Como back in February.
Despite a strong run, the Bianconeri are far from guaranteed a Champions League spot for next season. Recent draws on both their end and Milan’s, including a stalemate between the two, has left the door open for Como and Roma for a late overtake.
As things stand, Juve are third in the table on 68 points. Milan are fourth with 67 points, level on points with Roma in fifth. Como, meanwhile, are a further two points behind in sixth and can still mathematically chase down second-placed Napoli, who are sitting on 70 points.
So Sunday’s game is a must-win for Juve against a Fiorentina team who have just secured their survival after a historically poor start. Regardless of whether Juve make the Champions League, there a few players who are very likely to depart Turin in the summer, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport. Here, we look at three of them.
Federico Gatti
Federico Gatti has been a bit-part player since Luciano Spalletti’s arrival at the club, having managed just 26 appearances this season across all competitions.
Clearly not part of Spalletti’s plans, the 27-year-old is likely to be shipped off in the summer. He’s contracted to the club till 2030, though his modest €5.74m-per-year wages as well as Juve’s price tag for him make move highly probable.
A switch to the Premier League is very much on the cards for the Italy international, with Aston Villa, Everton, and Crystal Palace linked with him in recent days.
Loïs Openda
The Belgium international’s initial loan move from Leipzig was made permanent only last month, after securing a top-ten finish in Serie A obliged Juve to make his move permanent for €40 million.
However, if they could at this point, Juve would have walked away from signing Loïs Openda for good. The 26-year-old has had a horrid debut season in Italy, having managed to score just two goals in 37 appearances across all competitions.
Openda has mostly been left on the bench in recent weeks. When the transfer window opens, Juve will most certainly opt to cut their losses and move him on.
Jonathan David
Here’s another forward who arrived at the Allianz Stadium last summer but is set to be on the move come this one. Much like his Belgian teammate, Jonathan David arrived amid much fanfare and expectations, but just like Openda he has flattered to deceive.
While David’s numbers look better on paper than Openda’s, they too aren’t much to write home about. The seasoned Canada international has managed just eight goals and five assists in 45 appearances across all competitions.
Having moved from Lille on a free transfer, David has a hefty contract with Juventus, which fetches him €11.11 million per year before taxes and is set to run until June 2030. This is going to be a major hurdle for most teams vying for his signature, though there has been interest from the Premier League, with Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa, and Crystal Palace linked with him recently.
It is unlikely that David would opt for a major salary cut right away, which makes a loan move likely that would see Juve pay part of his wages in hopes of recouping some of that money in a year’s time by moving him on for good.
Anshuman Joshi | GIFN
