Juventus Scout Belgium Pair, Shortlist Empoli Defender

Cristiano Giuntoli attended Thursday’s clash between Italy and Belgium to take a close look at the two offensive talents, Lois Openda and Dodi Lukebakio. In the meantime, the Bianconeri have shortlisted a cheap option for their defense, Empoli’s Ardian Ismajli.

The Bianconeri faced the RB Leipzig star recently. They are earmarking strikers due to the uncertainty about Arkadiusz Milik’s return and the challenging talks to renew the contract of Dusan Vlahovic, La Gazzetta dello Sport informs. The 24-year-old has bagged five goals and logged two assists in nine matches. He transferred to the Bundesliga from Lens for €40M in 2023. He has 23 caps with Belgium, with which he has hit the net twice.

Unlike Openda, Lukebakio isn’t a pure striker but would be able to help Juventus in multiple positions. After a long spell with Hertha Berlin, he moved to Sevilla for €10M last year. He has bagged 8 goals in 36 matches with them.

The Bianconeri are also on the prowl for a defender. Wout Faes started against Italy, while Zeno Debast didn’t play. Some of their scouts watched Ismajli in the recent game versus Lazio, TuttoSport relays (via Fantacalcio). He’s been at Empoli since 2021 after being brought to the Peninsula from Hajduk Split by Spezia in 2020. He has accumulated 95 Serie A appearances.

Our Take on Juventus, Openda, Lukebakio, and Ismajli

The RB Leipzig ace joins the list of options in case they can’t come to terms with Vlahovic, while the other two could be January targets. They’ll have to pick and choose where to invest. Even though they need a deputy striker, a center-back is a bigger priority. The Albanian international isn’t a sexy name but is a steady hand.