Juventus are preparing to rebuild their Italian core by 2027 with plans to sign Liverpool’s Giovanni Leoni and Frosinone goalkeeper Lorenzo Palmisani, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport. The club has identified both players as part of a strategy to increase the presence of Italian talent in their squad ahead of future seasons.
For the first time in their Serie A history, Juventus fielded an outfield lineup without a single Italian player during their match against Sassuolo on September 13. Only goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, who started the last two games before the international break, represented the homegrown contingent. This situation partly arose due to injuries to captain Manuel Locatelli and Italy international Andrea Cambiaso, but it also highlighted the limited number of Italians currently in the first team.
Currently, Juventus has a handful of Italian players permanently with the first team: goalkeepers Vicario and Carlo Pinsoglio, plus Cambiaso, Federico Gatti, Locatelli, Daniele Rugani, and Jeff Ekhator. Of these, only Vicario, Cambiaso, and Locatelli are expected to regularly start in Serie A. The club’s previous success in Serie A, including nine consecutive titles from 2012 to 2020, was built on a strong core of Italian internationals such as Gianluigi Buffon, Leonardo Bonucci, Andrea Barzagli, Giorgio Chiellini, and Andrea Pirlo. Juventus management has acknowledged the current scarcity of Italian players in the squad and aims to address it through targeted signings.
Among the players Juventus is eyeing is Palmisani, a goalkeeper from Frosinone who currently stars for the Italy U21 team. Juventus still holds an option to make Vicario’s transfer permanent for €8 million at the end of the 2026-27 season but views Palmisani as a promising long-term prospect. The 21-year-old goalkeeper impressed during the UEFA Euro U21 Qualification match against Armenia in October 2025.
Liverpool’s Giovanni Leoni is another target as Juventus looks to bring in young Italian talent. The teenager has been recovering from a serious knee injury sustained last year, and the club reportedly offered to take him on loan to aid his rehabilitation. Leoni was receiving medical treatment at Anfield as recently as September 23, 2025, after being substituted during a Carabao Cup match against Southampton.
Juventus is also interested in Riccardo Calafiori and Michael Kayode, both of whom have been capped by Italy, but the club is aware these players will likely be too expensive to acquire in the upcoming summer transfer window. Additionally, La Gazzetta dello Sport reports Juventus’s interest in Fiorentina midfielder Cher Ndour, although details about any potential deal remain unconfirmed.
The club’s focus on rebuilding an Italian foundation comes amid increasing pressure to restore its identity and competitive edge in Serie A. Juventus’s approach involves blending established Italian starters with emerging talent from the national youth ranks, aiming to replicate the formula that brought them domestic dominance earlier in the decade.
The latest confirmed development is Juventus’s ongoing negotiations to secure Palmisani and their loan offer for Leoni, signalling a clear intent to boost their Italian representation by the 2027 season.
According to Yahoo Sports.
