Walter Zenga's Warning to Juventus: No 15-Goal Striker in Sight

Walter Zenga has fired a stark warning in Juventus’ direction: despite a busy summer up front, he doesn’t see a single 15-goal striker in Luciano Spalletti’s squad.

Juventus travel to Sassuolo tonight (19.45 UK time, 20.45 CEST) under mounting pressure and with a growing injury list. Spalletti makes the trip without Manuel Locatelli, Jeremie Boga, Weston McKennie, Andrea Cambiaso, Kenan Yildiz, Khephren Thuram, Jeff Ekhator and Juan Cabal. The bench looks thin. The attack, in Zenga’s eyes, looks even thinner.

Zenga questions Juve’s rebuild

The plan, according to reports, is to start Randal Kolo Muani, with Kerim Alajbegovic, Nico Gonzalez and Francisco Conceicao working around him. It is an attacking quartet full of movement and flair. What Zenga doesn’t see is a classic finisher.

“Kolo Muani is not a Number 9, that kind of hitman who can score 15 goals per season, and neither is Woltemade really,” the former goalkeeper and coach told Sky Sport Italia, casting doubt over the club’s transfer strategy.

The criticism cuts deeper when he looks at what Juventus once had – and let go.

“To think that Arek Milik has been out injured for two years and is still on the Juve books,” Zenga said. “Above all, to think that they had a striker like Dusan Vlahovic who left for reasons we don't know, but which are presumably tied to his agent and the contract.

“In theory, Juve had two strikers in the squad there with the potential to score 25-30 goals between them.”

From Vlahovic leading the line to a fluid, striker-less system in barely a year: the contrast is brutal. For Zenga, it underlines a rebuild that has sacrificed guaranteed goals for versatility and potential.

Spalletti’s next move

All eyes now turn to Spalletti. With Kolo Muani and Nick Woltemade offering mobility, link play and pressing rather than penalty-box ruthlessness, Zenga expects the coach to lean into experimentation.

Considering the characteristics of his new forwards, the former Italy boss may be tempted to rip up the traditional No.9 blueprint and lean on rotations, false nines and late runners from deep. Spalletti has reinvented teams before; he is no stranger to tactical gambles.

The question is simple and unforgiving: in a title race decided by fine margins, can Juventus really afford to go into a season without a guaranteed 15-goal striker?