Coach Igor Tudor`s decisions during the Club World Cup offer clear insights into Juventus` plans, revealing which players are considered essential, who is likely to stay, and who might be deemed surplus to requirements. With the transfer market currently active, the tournament has become a crucial proving ground.
Player selection, rotation, and tactical choices all signal the club`s intentions. By observing squad lists, substitutions, and those consistently left on the bench or out of the matchday squad entirely, a picture emerges. This starts with the players who were not even called up.
Following the 5-2 loss to City, a brief Tudor explained: “We preferred not to call up Weah and Mbangula for market reasons. That`s all.”
The absence of these two players from the squad list was immediately noticed, but their subsequent strong reactions on social media, followed by Tudor`s post-match confirmation, removed any doubt. Juventus reportedly intends to finalize a double outgoing transfer involving them to Nottingham Forest for €25 million plus bonuses. Despite the players` discontent and a harsh reaction from Weah`s agent, who stated, “No one will push one of my players to go play left or right like a puppet. Weah is a fantastic player and teammate: seeing people behave this way for money and ego has disappointed me greatly,” the deal does not appear to be affected by these internal tensions.
Where is Douglas?
This clear stance indicates the club`s resolve to sell the American and the Belgian. They are seemingly outside the team`s immediate plans, much like Douglas Luiz, who appears somewhat isolated within the squad that welcomed him for €50 million last year. Under Tudor in the league, he has only played a total of 37 minutes. In the Club World Cup so far, he has featured for just 45 minutes (coming on for Thuram against Al Ain) out of a possible 270. Two consecutive games on the bench suggest that Juventus might indeed be able to manage without him, especially if concrete contacts for a return to the Premier League, where Douglas previously excelled, were to reactivate.
Questionable Performances
“Injuries hampered me, yes, but how long have I been on the bench while healthy?” the Brazilian himself lamented on social media, venting his frustration without burning bridges with the club: “I didn`t come here just to post photos. I want to prove my worth at Juve.” Naturally, doing so from the sidelines is difficult. Juventus continues to explore midfield options, with Lens` Moroccan midfielder El Aynaoui being the latest name linked to sporting director Comolli`s notebook.
Nico Gonzalez returned to the starting lineup in the attacking midfield role against City, but his performances often fall short of expectations. For the Argentinian, a similar situation to Douglas seems to apply: Juventus looks capable of proceeding without him now that team hierarchies have shifted and club valuations have changed. In this open transfer window, many futures could be decided before next season begins.
This brings back the current situation surrounding Vlahovic, the number 9 who tends to score only after games are effectively decided – the main striker in the `other Juve`, the one without Kolo Muani starting. His situation is a matter of `second choices` and highlights what this Club World Cup has confirmed or revealed so far about the squad.
