Juventus Already Looking Past Loanee Woltemade

Randal Kolo Muani finally scored against Cagliari, although he also missed a gimme, while Nick Woltemade has yet to make his presence felt, and Juventus are starting to shortlist other strikers ahead of January, La Gazzetta dello Sport reports.

The forward also fired blanks with Germany during the international break. The Bianconeri had to settle with what the market offered late in the window, grabbing him after sending Jonathan David to Atletico Madrid on loan. The Canadian talisman rediscovered his scoring touch in Spain.

Instead, Woltemade hasn’t proved the type of player Juventus need to complement his partner and lift their attack. Other than better finishing, the Old Lady wants more physicality and presence in the box. Despite his size, the former Newcastle United star prefers to operate outside the box and link up with his teammate rather than be a fierce finisher.

Luciano Spalletti will work on those aspects, while the officials are looking for alternatives. He joined on a simple loan with no strings attached, but he can only go back to the Magpies. He had already played with them before moving.

The Bianconeri are keeping tabs on Mateo Retegui, who’s doing fine at Al-Qadsiah, Folarin Balogun, who wouldn’t mind leaving Monaco for a top club, and Frosinone’s Antonio Raimondo, who has bagged two braces.

Our Take on Juventus and Woltemade

It’s becoming increasingly clear that they grabbed a striker who was easy to sign and not too similar to Kolo Muani without worrying too much about other technical elements. A leopard can’t change its spots, and it also won’t be easy to bring in somebody more apt in January. There’s more hope that the Frenchman will get going instead.