The Juventus reset under Luciano Spalletti needs to begin with three players the Italian giants should sell this summer.
Juventus arrive in the 2026 summer transfer window bruised and brittle. After a season that began with promise but unravelled into frustration, the Bianconeri finished outside the Champions League places and also replaced their manager mid-season, a change that underlines just how urgent life after failure has become.
For a club accustomed to the revenue and prestige Champions League football brings, missing out is more than an embarrassment: it is a tangible financial hit that forces difficult choices. With limited income and an expectation to rebuild quickly, Juventus must raise funds and trim a bloated squad. Selling the right players will determine whether the next campaign is a step towards recovery or another year lost to transition.
This piece argues Juventus should prioritise three departures this summer: Andrea Cambiaso, Nicolas Gonzalez and Douglas Luiz. Each represents a different problem: inconsistent output, unfulfilled loan to buy potential, and tactical mismatch, but all three share one inconvenient truth for Juve in 2026: they are assets whose sale would produce incoming cash and free up space for targeted reinforcements.
Why selling matters now
Juventus’s 2025/26 season was a study in near misses and missed momentum. Early signs suggested the squad could re-establish itself among Italy’s elite, but inconsistency, injuries and poor results at key moments saw the club slip from contention for the top three. The managerial change was both an admission of failure and a bid to reset; new leadership often brings fresh ideas, but also a recalibration of who fits the system.
Missing the Champions League compounds the problem. Beyond the obvious drop in matchday income and broadcasting receipts, there is a psychological and commercial cost: top players want European nights, sponsors value continental exposure, and the market value of the squad softens.
Reports suggest Juventus are targeting roughly €50 million in early sales to stabilise the books and fund a few smart acquisitions. That number is ambitious but necessary. Faced with that reality, the club must be pragmatic: move on from players who are expendable, misfiring, or who carry wages and transfer values that do not match their contribution.
Andrea Cambiaso
Andrea Cambiaso arrived with promise. A left-sided defender who can operate at left-back and as a wing-back, his pace and delivery are useful in systems that demand width and overlap. Yet over an extended spell at Juventus, he has too often flattered to deceive.
Moments of quality are interspersed with extended runs of inconsistency, lapses in concentration defensively, erratic crossing decisions in the final third, and a difficulty in sustaining peak levels across a full season.
From the club’s perspective, Cambiaso’s profile now tempts a sale. There is Premier League interest; Chelsea, for example, have been linked with a move worth in the region of €30 million. That market would pay a premium for his blend of physical attributes and tactical versatility. Additionally, reports have also linked him with Barcelona.
For the Old Lady, selling Cambiaso would achieve multiple aims: raise meaningful funds, reduce the wage bill, and clear space to sign a left-sided player who better fits the manager’s long-term blueprint. Importantly, this is not simply about recouping an investment.
Juventus should sell because the club needs a consistent performer on that flank, not a prospect who occasionally shines. A fresh signing, ideally a player proven in high-intensity, defensive first systems, would provide reliability game after game. With financial pressure mounting, converting Cambiaso’s potential into immediate cash is a rational, if unsentimental, course.
Nicolas Gonzalez
Gonzalez’s situation encapsulates another modern transfer headache: loan-to-buy deals with conditional triggers. The Argentine spent 2025/26 on loan at Atletico Madrid and made 37 appearances across competitions, contributing five goals and accumulating roughly 1,900 minutes. Those numbers are respectable, but not quite enough to automatically activate an obligation to buy.
Atletico remain interested, but they are seeking to negotiate a lower fee. For Juventus, Gonzalez is a textbook candidate for a clean break. He has demonstrated ability: he can play across the front line, offers directness in possession and has flashes of the kind of verticality modern coaches prize.
But his loan spell also illustrated limitations: he did not impose himself consistently enough in La Liga to force Atletico’s hand, and his market value is therefore fragile. Holding onto Gonzalez in the hope his price rebounds would be a gamble Juventus can ill afford.
Accepting Atletico’s offer, or finding a buyer willing to match a realistic valuation this summer, is the prudent option. It clears a squad slot, trims wages, and ensures the club receives funds that can be reinvested in players better suited to the manager’s tactical design.
Juventus should avoid protracted haggling that risks losing both cash and a place on the transfer log; a quick, decisive sale here signals efficient stewardship to the market.
Douglas Luiz
Douglas Luiz’s tenure at Juventus has been defined by uncertainty. The Brazilian midfielder arrived with a reputation for control, passing range and defensive discipline, but he has struggled to carve out a consistent role in Turin.
Recent reports indicate Aston Villa are unwilling to re-sign him after a disappointing loan spell, and that Juventus do not see him as central to their project. That combination, a player who does not fit the manager’s tactical plans and who offers limited transfer interest from high-paying clubs, makes finding a buyer a priority.
Selling Luiz meets both financial and footballing needs. He commands a sizeable wage and would likely fetch a fair fee on the open market due to his Premier League experience and profile. For Juventus, the move would reduce the wage bill and allow the club to pursue midfielders tailored to the manager’s preferred shape, players perhaps younger, more mobile, or with different ball progression metrics.
Tactically, clearing Luiz also simplifies recruitment. Rather than compromise and shoehorn players into ill-fitting roles, Juventus can sign specialists: a deep-lying playmaker to control tempo, or a defensive midfielder who screens the back four aggressively. In short, offloading Luiz is less about him failing and more about strategic alignment: a squad must reflect a manager’s plan, and at present, he is surplus to that plan.