Di Gregorio a Problem Again: Juventus Urgently Needs a New Goalkeeper
Uncertain performance against Inter in Perth resurrected old ghosts. Spalletti and the board under pressure to sign a first-choice keeper before Serie A begins.
Uncertain performance against Inter in Perth resurrected old ghosts. Spalletti and the board under pressure to sign a first-choice keeper before Serie A begins.
Inter defeated Juventus 2:1 in the friendly Derby d'Italia in Perth, Australia, on Friday, August 8, 2026. However, more worrying than the result for the Turin club was the performance of goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio, whose errors have heightened the urgency to bring in a new shot-stopper.
Up until this match, Juventus's preseason had looked encouraging from a defensive standpoint. Luciano Spalletti's side had not conceded a single goal in their first four friendlies: Basel and Juventus played out a 0:0 draw, Standard Liege were beaten 0:1, Nice fell 2:0, and Chelsea were defeated 0:1. Di Gregorio and Mattia Perin rotated in goal behind a solid defense that gave opponents few chances.
However, everything changed against Inter. For the first goal, scored by Federico Dimarco, Di Gregorio may have reacted a fraction of a second too late, but the greater blame lies with the players who allowed the opponent to shoot unhindered from the edge of the box. For the second goal, Diouf's strike, the goalkeeper's fault was evident: his attempted save was clumsy and uncertain, and the ball ended up in the net. This performance immediately evoked memories of the numerous uncertainties the 27-year-old (born in 1997) displayed last season, such as the matches at San Siro against Inter and at the Allianz against Como.
With three weeks left until the transfer window closes, Juventus currently counts on Di Gregorio, Perin, and Pinsoglio. The problem is that the two backup goalkeepers have contracts expiring in a year, while Di Gregorio, whose deal runs until 2029, has not convinced either Spalletti or the club. The situation is further complicated by the fact that the player is almost isolated within the squad, especially after the sensational case involving his agent in July.
Primary targets such as Alisson and Dibu Martinez are already out of reach, and other options, like Vicario, do not seem entirely convincing. The latest idea is to bring in Suzuki on loan from Paris Saint-Germain, provided the French club buys the Japanese goalkeeper from Parma. However, the question arises whether a club of Juventus's stature wants to build a winning team with a loaned goalkeeper, especially after last season's problems in that position.
In the coming hours, it will become clearer what solutions board members Carnevali, Massara, and Ottolini can find. At the start of the transfer window, the need for a new goalkeeper was urgent, almost an emergency situation. Now it has grown into an absolute necessity.
