Raffaele Palladino was not a genuine candidate for the Juventus job as Luciano Spalletti was always the Bianconeri’s priority, given that Damien Comolli met an intermediary close to the ex-Italy coach before the game against Lazio.

Juventus are set to appoint Spalletti as their new coach, having reached an agreement with the Italian tactician on Tuesday.

Palladino was a serious candidate for Juventus

Despite reports, Palladino was never a serious candidate for the Juventus job as the Bianconeri’s first option was always the ex-Italy coach.

Sources with direct knowledge of the matter tell me that an intermediary very close to Spalletti met with Juventus director Damien Comolli in Rome on Saturday, before Igor Tudor’s eventual final game in charge of the Old Lady, against Lazio.

It is also not confirmed that a part of the Juventus dressing room pushed for the appointment of Palladino, so the ex-Fiorentina and Monza coach is now waiting for a new chance.

The former striker has already rejected some offers from foreign clubs and could turn out to be a regret for Atalanta, who picked Ivan Juric instead of him in the summer.

Atalanta are still unbeaten in Serie A, but have collected seven draws in nine games.

Luciano Spalletti is ready to put pen to paper at Juventus, but the decisive element was his acceptance of a contract to June with automatic renewal for Champions League qualification.

As we had explained already, Spalletti was always the first choice for the job after the club decided to pull the plug on Igor Tudor not even three months into the season.

Roberto Mancini had already been on the outskirts from yesterday and was never really a Plan B, while Raffaele Palladino was only kept warm as an alternative in case the negotiations didn’t go well.

Spalletti only ever the first choice for Juventus

The former Italy boss was always the main focus and only an extraordinary change of strategy would see them drift away from that candidacy.

Today was delicate and the meeting with Spalletti laid the groundwork for the agreement, confirming it was never really a two-horse race.

Ultimately, what we suggested yesterday afternoon may well prove to be decisive, because he immediately accepted the proposal of a contract until June, with option for automatic renewal for another season in case of Champions League qualification.

Once that hurdle was out of the way, he was always leading the race and just hurtling towards the signature.

Aaron Martin has lost some of the visibility he previously had in recent matches, despite an undeniably high level of performance.

Many have linked this situation to his contract expiring in June.

Genoa push for Aaron Martin renewal

Genoa want to resolve the matter as soon as possible, in order to avoid the risk of losing the 1997-born left-back on a free transfer.

As we reported back on June 10, Martin’s profile is greatly appreciated by Lazio, and there have already been inquiries to understand the position of the Spanish specialist.

At the moment Lazio cannot make moves in the market, but in the future several issues will need to be defined (starting with Tavares), and the club will continue to monitor Martin. In the meantime, Genoa will continue to push for a renewal, as we have now entered an increasingly delicate phase.

The 28-year-old signed for Genoa in 2023 from Bundesliga outfit Mainz and has since made close to 70 appearances for the club in all competitions.

Luciano Spalletti has made it clear this is not a matter of salary or contract length. During the meeting with Juventus, after the contacts we reported already yesterday afternoon, Spalletti reaffirmed his strong desire to take charge in Turin.

He is open to every formula: a deal until June with a two-year option, or a straight contract until 2027. The idea of reaching the club’s minimum target of Champions League qualification and then being one year away from expiry does not concern him now; that would be a matter to evaluate later.

Spalletti wants Juventus & Juventus want Spalletti

Spalletti is convinced that through his work he can put the ship back on course after the recent wrecks.

Now, the next move belongs to Damien Comolli and his timing. One could say that after dismissing a coach, the club should already have the replacement ready.

But Comolli identified Spalletti as his target since Saturday, the eve of the defeat to Lazio, and it is up to him to assess the financial side of the operation.

There is no doubt inside the club regarding Spalletti being the most suitable candidate to pull Juventus from this situation. From this point, it is simply a matter of moving from theory to execution.

Palladino remains plan B for Juventus

Raffaele Palladino remains the plan B only in the case of sudden changes of direction, second thoughts or unforeseen developments in the coming hours.

From yesterday afternoon onward, Roberto Mancini has been removed even as a plan C, not just as plan B. The expectation now is to finalise talks with the man who has always been the first choice.

It is surprising to see Juventus signings Jonathan David and Loïs Openda suddenly being written off as “flops”, when they are clearly nothing of the sort.

And if someone wanted to say it, it would have been more credible to do so on September 2nd – not at the end of October. What is certain, however, is that those two, especially those two, were the core of the disagreement between Tudor and Comolli.

The coach had pushed to keep Kolo Muani, both for tactical continuity and because his adaptation to the system was already complete. Instead, he did not appreciate the repeated delays in negotiations, accepted David without enthusiasm, almost endured Openda’s arrival, and expressed strong doubts about Zhegrova.

Juventus expected summer signings to flourish

Once Comolli had acted, the club expected those investments, significant investments, to be valued, rather than constant tactical resets and formation changes born out of improvisation.

The change of coach at Juventus is not only about stopping the negative run of three consecutive defeats and four games without scoring. It must also redirect the club’s transfer strategy.

That does not mean forcing the new manager to rely blindly on the attackers signed in July and August. But it also cannot mean discarding them on principle or using them without a clear and coherent plan.

Luciano Spalletti is the name at the top of Juventus’s shortlist of potential replacements for Igor Tudor, who was dismissed from his role as head coach on Monday, and Football Italia can reveal that there has now been direct contact between the Bianconeri and the former Italy national team head coach. 

Juventus parted company with Tudor on Monday morning following a run of eight games without a win in any competition and a run of four matches without scoring a goal. The Croatian’s final match in charge ended in a 1-0 defeat away against Lazio at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday evening. 

Juventus in direct contact with Spalletti

The latest news is that there has now been direct contact between Spalletti and representatives from Juventus. An intermediary is involved and the club approve of the decision to move forwards in negotiations with Spalletti. 

Spalletti has given his full availability to taking over at Juve, and is seeking an 18-month contract. He would, however, be willing to accept a deal until the end of the 2025-26 season with an option to extend for a further year. 

Other coaches who have been linked with the job, namely Raffaele Palladino and Roberto Mancini, remain alternative options for the Old Lady for now. 

Juventus are hoping to close a deal with Spalletti, but they still need to reach an agreement.

Juventus have already informed Igor Tudor that he’ll be sacked, but the coach’s destiny has been written since the start of October.

Juventus have decided to sack their coach Tudor, and the club directors have already informed the Croatian tactician. An official statement in the coming hours will formally put an end to Tudor’s reign, which began in March 2025 and ended with three consecutive losses against Como, Real Madrid and Lazio.

Tudor’s situation was already clear

The situation at Juventus has been clear since October 6, when I reported that, without tactical clarity, the coach would pay a high price.

This is exactly what happened today, as Juventus have not even waited for the next Serie A match against Udinese on Wednesday.

Tudor doesn’t pay just for lack of results

Juventus’ poor results and the lack of trust in new summer signgins have made the difference in determining the coach’s fate.

Tudor took charge of 24 Juventus matches across all competitions, grabbing 10 wins, eight draws and six losses.

Elia Caprile proved once again today that he is a great goalkeeper and Cagliari made a wise decision demanding at least €18m to sell in the summer, as now he’ll be worth more.

The shot-stopper made some more incredible saves in the 2-2 draw against Hellas Verona today at the Stadio Bentegodi, keeping his team in the game for their late comeback against the run of play.

Cagliari President Tommaso Giulini had bought him outright from Napoli for €8m and the idea was to sell, but only if a big offer came along, just like the one they accepted from Fiorentina for Roberto Piccoli.

Impressive Caprile will cost the big clubs

Caprile was given a price-tag of no less than €15-18m to even consider a transfer, and as nobody turned up with that kind of money, Giulini was happy to keep the goalkeeper.

His performances have been remarkable so far this season, as not a week goes by without some extraordinary saves hitting the headlines, and his consistency is so impressive.

Caprile only celebrated his 24^th birthday a couple of months ago, and it’s easy to assume the step up to the next level has only been delayed a little bit.

Now a few big clubs have already set their sights on a goalie who is destined to be a protagonist in the next transfer sessions.

Sergej Milinkovic-Savic had been linked with a return to Serie A, above all for Juventus, but the ex-Lazio midfielder has renewed his contract with Al-Hilal.

The official announcement came from the Saudi Pro League side today, confirming what had been reported by our Sportitalia colleague Gianluigi Longari on October 17, who knew the rumours of an Italian comeback were unlikely to come true.

Milinkovic-Savic always a tough candidate for Juventus

It would’ve been a tough move to make work for a number of reasons, none more so than the head-spinning salary the Serbian commands at Al-Hilal.

He has also been reunited at the club with coach Simone Inzaghi, who had already worked with him closely during their time together at Lazio.

 

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Milinkovic-Savic was one of the first to truly believe in the ambitious projects in Saudi Arabian football, and the investments continue to keep building those plans.

Juventus did have a real chance of tempting him before the move to Al-Hilal was made, but had to surrender when faced with the sheer figures on offer.

Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa has proven, once again, that he has become a giant for Napoli, not only with his crucial goal against Inter on Saturday evening, but also through his performances, showing that he can flex his muscles and walk the walk. 

Napoli got it spot on with Anguissa

The Cameroon international was on the scoresheet, restoring Napoli’s two-goal lead in their 3-1 victory over Inter on Saturday evening, which has sent the Partenopei back up to the top of the Serie A standings after eight matches. 

Anguissa, towards the end of last season, had a moment of hesitation, considering potential opportunities elsewhere after having helped Napoli to two Scudetti within the last three years. 

In the end, his desire was to stay on with Napoli, where he has proved himself as a key player under Antonio Conte, despite the arrivals of Scott McTominay and Kevin De Bruyne over the last two years. 

And so, his contract was extended, and is now set to expire in 2027. This was the perfect outcome for Napoli, and it comes as a reward for Anguissa’s unquestionably key performances over the last few seasons. 

Anguissa is becoming an increasingly key figure within Partenopei circles, and a renewal could not have been any more appropriate.