The Moroccan center forward would bring quality and, above all, physicality to Spalletti, who is preparing to reshape the team
First: we need a striker. Second: we need one who knows how to hold the penalty area like a “true” number nine. Juventus’ winter transfer window has taken an unexpected turn dictated by circumstances: if you don’t score after having possession for 78 percent of the game (see Cagliari) or if you score only once after taking 26 shots (see the afternoon match against Lecce at the Stadium), you have no choice but to sound the alarm. The En-Nesyri deal came about this way and was made at the express request of Luciano Spalletti: the agreements reached in late October—when the former Italy national team coach signed an eight-month contract—were all well and good, but if the team wants to finish in the top four by May, something had to happen—and it did.
En-Nesyri is a 1.88-meter-tall center forward who won two Europa League titles during his time at Sevilla, won over Mourinho, and joined Fenerbahçe alongside him—a remarkable story. In Turin, he’ll bring that instinct for the opponent’s goal that David and Openda lack: the fancy footwork used by Conceição and his teammates to break through the defense could translate into sweet passes right to the Moroccan striker’s head. Yes, the header. En-Nesyri is a player who knows how to get to the ball in the air, and when he does, it spells trouble for anyone trying to get in his way: from 2016 to 2024, in La Liga, he scored 20 goals off crosses from the wings, second only to Karim Benzema, who scored one more during the same period. Goals and movement: the perfect equation. We’re not talking about a football prodigy, but about someone who knows how to turn what the team conceives or builds into gold: a Plan A that becomes the classic Plan B if space shrinks or disappears during the match. En-Nesyri provides depth because he knows how to hold up the ball à la Vlahovic when the Serbian is on form: failing to do so, for Spalletti, is a problem given a style of play that also demands a fair amount of stamina and balance.
quality— The green light from Istanbul, barring last-minute complications, is expected today and will provide Spalletti with new tactical options. “Can David play as a second striker behind the main striker? Yes, he can…,” was the Juventus coach’s response on the night after the Benfica match. In other words, the Canadian center forward’s ability to link up with those around him could push him a few meters further away from the goalkeeper and turn him into an excellent option with new responsibilities. The winter transfer window is heating up for Juventus, and the first move could prove to be the most valuable: if the deal is indeed in its final stages, En-Nesyri’s arrival will have the effect of significantly and innovatively reshaping Spalletti’s tactical setup.
