Juventus Pursue Kolo Muani as Carnevali Signals Optimism

Juventus are running out of calendar but not conviction. With the new 2026-27 Serie A season less than a month away and the number 9 position still glaringly vacant, the club’s hierarchy is pushing hard to bring Randal Kolo Muani back to Turin.

The Old Lady allowed Dusan Vlahovic to walk away at the end of his contract on June 30, a bold call for a club built on centre-forwards. Talks with the Serbian have not been completely severed, but Juventus have clearly shifted their gaze. They want a different profile, a different reference point. Increasingly, that search keeps circling back to Paris and to Kolo Muani.

The Frenchman already offered a glimpse of what he could bring. On loan in Turin during the second half of the 2024-25 campaign, he scored eight goals in just 16 Serie A appearances, a return that quickly won admirers inside the club. Dynamic, direct, and comfortable operating across the front line, he looked less like a short-term patch and more like a long-term solution.

Paris Saint-Germain, though, have not been in the mood to gift him away. Negotiations between the two clubs have dragged on for weeks, with the French champions holding firm to a valuation in the region of €50m.

Juventus have now responded with their strongest move yet. According to reports this week, the Bianconeri have submitted a new proposal: a season-long loan with an obligation to buy for €40m plus add-ons. The structure is designed to protect their balance sheet today while still edging close to PSG’s demands tomorrow. The bonuses built into the package could lift the total fee to almost the €50m mark that the Parisians have been asking for.

The pressure finally told in the public arena on Wednesday. Speaking to reporters, Juventus CEO Giovanni Carnevali was asked how much was still missing before the deal could be completed. His answer was brief, but loaded with intent.

“I hope not a lot,” he replied.

It was a small line, but in a summer of tight-lipped executives and guarded statements, it sounded like a crack of light. Carnevali’s words suggest Juventus believe they are now operating in the final stretch of the talks, rather than circling endlessly around the same numbers.

Time, though, remains a ruthless opponent. Luciano Spalletti has been waiting for his new focal point as pre-season plans sharpen and tactical drills grow more specific. Every day without a first-choice striker is a day lost in preparation for a campaign in which Juventus are expected to challenge on multiple fronts.

Kolo Muani knows the demands in Turin. He has already handled the weight of the shirt and the scrutiny that comes with it. His performances last season turned him from a mid-season stopgap into a primary transfer target.

PSG know his value too. They invested heavily in the forward and have little interest in being strong-armed late in the window. That is why the loan-with-obligation formula, sweetened with performance-related bonuses, has become Juventus’ main weapon in these talks.

Now, with Carnevali’s hint of optimism hanging in the air, the equation is clear. Juventus have drawn their line, PSG have set their price, and a striker who has already convinced in Serie A waits for clarity.

If the final details fall into place, Kolo Muani will walk back into a dressing room that already knows what he can deliver. If they don’t, Juventus enter the new season still searching for the forward around whom Spalletti’s project can truly revolve.