Juventus will be keen to part ways with Lois Openda and some of their other players who haven’t met expectations, but this could prove to be a complicated mission.
The Bianconeri are preparing for their final game of the season against Torino, but even a Derby victory could be insufficient to secure a place in the Champions League, as the club currently sits 6th in the table.
And without UCL prize money, the club will be forced to sell several players to make up for the deficit on the balance sheet.
Therefore, many players could be set to play their final match in the black-and-white stripes.
Can Juventus get rid of Lois Openda this summer?
While the likes of Gleison Bremer, Andrea Cambiaso and Federico Gatti have a market, finding buyers for others looks less promising.
According to Juve Oggi, the club directors will likely struggle to offload four players, three of whom joined the club last summer.
Openda is certainly the most obvious one. The Belgian striker’s transfer from RB Leipzig cost the club circa €45 million, but he only managed to score twice, and has thus been dropped from Luciano Spalletti’s plans in recent months.
Due to his high book value and poor scoring return, it will be highly unlikely for Juventus to sell Openda outright, but perhaps they can find a suitor willing to take him on loan with an option to buy.
David, Zhegrova & Koopmeiners also pose a problem for Juventus
Unlike Openda, Jonathan David didn’t cost the club a hefty fee, as he arrived on a free transfer. However, the Canadian earns €6 million per year, a figure he couldn’t quite justify in his first season in Turin.
Therefore, the difficulty would be finding a buyer willing to match the Canadian’s luxurious wages.
Like his old Lille teammate, Edon Zhegrova has had an underwhelming campaign, only showing flashes of brilliance. The Kosovar has yet to regain his pre-injury levels, and didn’t make a single starting appearance in Serie A.
Finally, Teun Koopmeiners is one of the club’s highest earners, pocketing €5 million per season, and currently weighs €33 million on the balance sheet. After two disappointing campaigns in Turin, these considerable numbers could deter any potential admirers.
