Transfers
€18 million move: Juventus reshape Italian ranks as June ends
€18 million was the price Juventus paid to bring 19‑year‑old forward Jeff Ekhator from Genoa in the final hours of June. The Bianconeri completed the deal as part of an aggressive Italian‑focused transfer window.
Twenty‑one‑year‑old goalkeeper Giovanni Daffara left the club for Parma on a permanent €6 million transfer. The move gives the young Italian a clear starting spot in Turin’s Serie A rivals.
The agreement also saw David Puczka head to Genoa, completing the swap that included both Ekhator and Daffara receiving their first senior Italy call‑up under caretaker Silvio Baldini. Neither youngster featured against Luxembourg, while Ekhator made his debut starting against Greece.
Ekhator arrived with five goals in 57 Serie A appearances for Genoa and can operate on either wing or as a centre‑forward. It will be up to Juventus coach Luciano Spalletti to decide the best position for the versatile attacker.
Daniele De Rossi, now Genoa’s head coach and a former Roma player, praised the teenager in April, saying: “Ekhator is growing before our eyes and is finally training like a true champion. He possesses raw strength, outstanding agility and explosive power – it would be a serious mistake to waste that potential.”
Juventus are rebuilding after missing the Champions League for the 2025‑26 season, yet odds already list the Bianconeri among the favourites for the 2026‑27 Europa League, with BestBettingSites.co.uk highlighting the betting value.
The club also faces the loss of Dusan Vlahovic, who will leave on a free transfer on 30 June, prompting director Giovanni Carnevali to name Frenchman Randal Kolo Muani as the main target. The PSG striker, who returned to Paris after a loan at Tottenham, has previously scored ten goals for Juventus in the 2024‑25 campaign.
A May photo taken in TURIN, ITALY, shows Vlahovic celebrating for Juventus FC against Torino FC at the Stadio Olimpico. The image, credited to Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images, underscores the club’s ongoing transition.