Juventus’s Flashy Summer Signings Fell Short of the Hype, Halfway Through a Turbulent Start
1 October 2025
New Signings, Big Promises, Small Returns
Juventus undertook the summer window with the goal of strengthening the squad for both domestic and European campaigns. They invested heavily in new players, hoping these additions would lift the team’s level after a frustrating previous season, but so far the results haven’t matched the spending.
As the 2025-2026 campaign has barely moved past six fixtures across Serie A and the Champions League, questions have begun to circulate among Juventus supporters. Can these four newcomers actually rejuvenate the group and help secure meaningful achievements this season?
Excluding the long-term deal with Conceicao from Porto and a handful of loan returns, the quartet making up the fresh face of Juventus is Joao Mario, Edon Zigrova, Jonathan David, and Louis Opinda. Together, Juventus shelled out more than 80 million euros for this cohort, yet their combined impact has been modest at best up to this point.
Through approximately 535 minutes of action—out of a possible 1,800—these players have produced one goal and two assists. That is a far cry from what their price tags would imply, and it leaves coach Igo Tudor with plenty of room to maneuver if he wants to squeeze more value out of his new arrivals.
The quartet’s full integration has been hampered by a mix of tactical fit, minutes accrued, and one player’s injury. The overall picture is that, early in the season, the newcomers have not yet shifted the balance in Juventus’ favor.
Joao Mario, the Porto export valued at about 11.4 million euros, featured in two of five league appearances, totalling around 215 minutes. He supplied one assist in the most recent league game against Atalanta, but his defensive exposure on the right flank remains a concern, often forcing the coach to deploy Pierr Kalulu on that side for greater flexibility.
Jonathan David, the Canadian forward who arrived amid considerable fanfare after his Lille exploits, began with promise but faced a fluctuating run. He started three games, came off the bench in another three (one of which he didn’t feature at all), and accumulated roughly 173 minutes. His first Serie A goal arrived in his debut against Parma, yet the forward line’s momentum soon shifted toward Dusan Vlahovic’s standout form, limiting David’s influence and minutes thereafter.
Louis Opinda and Edon Zigrova joined after the preseason had already started. Zigrova’s return from a December 2024 injury has limited him to three appearances and 33 minutes, while Opinda has received a similar share of minutes. In total, the two newcomers have shared a little over 114 minutes across four appearances, a figure that mirrors the challenge of breaking into a competitive Juventus front line mid-season.
Spanning the first batch of competitive fixtures, the four signings have logged 535 minutes of action from 1,800 available, roughly 29.7 percent. They have contributed one goal and two assists—a modest impact for a significant financial outlay.
Season start then a dip in form
The campaign began with a home win over Parma (2-0) and a hard-fought away victory at Genoa (1-0). A dramatic 4-3 derby win over Inter Milan followed, but later results were less favorable. In Europe, Juventus conceded four goals to Borussia Dortmund as part of a 4-4 group-stage draw, while domestic results dipped with draws against Hellas Verona and Atalanta, leaving the club in fourth place with 11 points, just one behind Milan, Napoli and Roma who hold 12.
In short, the new signings have not yet altered Juventus’s trajectory in a meaningful way. The club’s early-season narrative is one of potential unfulfilled and a squad still searching for cohesion and clinical cutting edge in key moments, especially in Europe where the margin for error is thinner.
