Juventus is keen to enhance the number of Italian players in their squad and has compiled a list of potential signings. A prominent target is young Liverpool defender Giovanni Leoni, who the Turin side previously sought to bring in on loan.
The desire to revitalise the Italian core has come about for a significant reason. On September 13, in a match against Sassuolo, Juventus fielded a team for the first time in their Serie A history without a single Italian outfield player in the starting XI.
In the last two games before the international break, the only Italian among the starters was goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario. Although some of the situation can be attributed to injuries to captain Manuel Locatelli and Andrea Cambiaso, the overall selection of homegrown players in the first team is indeed limited.
Currently, the main squad features Vicario, Carlo Pinsoglio, Cambiaso, Federico Gatti, Locatelli, Daniele Rugani, and Jeff Ehitor. Among these, Vicario, Cambiaso, and Locatelli are considered regular starters.
Against this backdrop, Juventus are reportedly looking to gradually re-establish a new Italian core, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport.
Leoni has emerged as a candidate for this initiative. The club is showing interest in the young defender from Liverpool and had even put forward a proposal to take him on loan while he recovers from a serious knee injury that kept him sidelined for about a year.
Another target is goalkeeper Lorenzo Palmizani from Frosinone, who is also part of the Italy U21 setup. He is seen as a long-term option for the first-choice position. Meanwhile, Juventus still have the option to buy Vicario for €8 million after the 2026/27 season.
The club is also monitoring Riccardo Calafiori and Michael Kayode, though the challenge lies in their price tag; Juventus is aware that both players are likely to be priced out of their reach next summer.
Additionally, they have shown interest in Fiorentina midfielder Sher Ndur.
The notion of reinstating a strong Italian backbone carries historical significance for Juventus. The team that clinched nine consecutive titles from 2012 to 2020 largely leaned on Italian internationals like Gianluigi Buffon, Leonardo Bonucci, Andrea Barzagli, Giorgio Chiellini, and Andrea Pirlo.
Now, Juventus wish to gradually assemble a new generation of Italians, with the 19-year-old Leoni viewed as one of the players around whom this ambitious project could be built in the future.
