The 2024-25 season promised a lot to the Juventus faithful.
One of the largest promises was supposed to be more of an attacking focus under new manager Thiago Motta, contrary to the “corto muso” ways of Max Allegri from the previous three seasons. New faces came to Turin to wear the black and white stripes, many of those faces being attacking players and forwards, as the one magnificent aspect of the 2023-24 season was Juventus’ defense. The Great Walls of Bremer and Gatti could not fail, so it was natural that a priority should be the players who will find the back of the net.
But, as has happened many times before for this new Juventus of the modern age, irony struck. Not only was there a plague of injuries that dropped defenders like flies, but unlike the culling that saw Gleison Bremer and Juan Cabal out for the season due to knee surgeries, the forwards faced sporadic spells of injuries through the season.
Muscular issues precluded Nico Gonzalez from proving his worth for over two months during the first half of the Serie A and Champions League campaigns, Francisco Conceicao was the victim of a few muscle issues that kept him off the pitch for important matches against AC Milan, Napoli, and Atalanta, and even Dusan Vlahovic’s muscle injuries benched him from roughly 15% of Juventus’ Serie A matches. Not to mention Arkaduiz Milik, who at this point should be on milk bottles in Turin and his home city of Tychy in Poland.
As the season dragged on, the draws piled up, goals became less and less consistent, and anyone watching could tell that compared to other massive clubs, Juventus had serious issues in finding the back of the net. As the forwards are rated for their 2024-25 performances, it’s crucial to remember that while the biggest issue was the patchwork defense, the attack had its fair share of issues, too. So much so that in the first outing against AC Milan, there was no traditional striker, and the role was filled by the ever-present multi-tool Weston McKennie.
Let’s take a look…
Juventus v Verona - Serie A Photo by Daniele Badolato - Juventus FC/Juventus FC via Getty Images
Samuel Mbangula — 5
Appearances: 32; Minutes Played: 1,078; Goals: 4; Assists: 5; Yellow Cards: 1; Red Cards: 0
The young Belgian exploded onto the scene in the season opener, registering his first goal and first assist at the senior level in Juve’s opener against Como. He then went on to register another two assists only a week later in the aforementioned victory over Hellas Verona. But then something interesting happened for the youngster. Mbangula, though showing massive raw potential, took a bit of a back seat as the season began to play out — and there are a few reasons as to why this may be.
In terms of Serie A, the early slog of draws against Roma, Empoli, and Napoli showed that Juventus’ first two wins may have been because of early season luck and not actually superb performances across the board, as it’s hard to gauge how well a club is doing based off of two wins over mid-table and relegation battling clubs. Since Mbangula plays predominantly on the left wing, and the experimentation of Kenan Yildiz playing behind Vlahovic in Motta’s 4-2-3-1 only lasted for the first three domestic matches, it’s not crazy to say that Mbangula was a victim of preference. He spent a good deal of time as a late substitute during the first half of the season, when he was actually playing, as he remained on the bench for six of the first 16 matches.
The same story can be told for the Champions League, with Yildiz again being the clear preference for the first three matches, and Mbangula conforming to a late substitute role. Though he did manage to net a goal against PSV Eindhoven in the first leg of the Round of 16 qualifiers.
Mbangula’s strengths lay in his movement, passing accuracy, and to an extent dribbling. Though he often came up short on the wings, he very rarely showed signs of losing his hustle or fervor — which is not something that can be said about every Juventus player this season. In the end, Mbangula’s performance this season, while admirable, was just not enough to fight for recognition, especially against the Bianconeri’s poster boy Yildiz.
Fiorentina v Juventus - Serie A Photo by Image Photo Agency/Getty Images
Nico Gonzalez — 5
Appearances: 35; Minutes Played: 2,237; Goals: 5; Assists: 4; Yellow Cards: 3; Red Cards: 0
Before even having the ability to truly prove himself, the Fiorentina loanee was hit with an injury that kept him out of nine Serie A matches and another four in the Champions League between October and December. Because of that, fans and the club alike had to wait to see if the Argentinian could prove himself at a club like Juventus.
Realistically, he didn’t.
You can give him the benefit of the doubt since players oftentimes don’t come back at full strength after a long-term injury, but Gonzalez was simply not a high-level performer during his first season in black and white. He is very quick, a powerful dribbler, and is very skilled in cutting from the wing, but that did not show well over the course of the season. During his time at Fiorentina, he excelled in finishing and was a threat from set pieces, but was not much of a threat to other Italian clubs with the exception of Monza, Udinese, and Cagliari — which are not necessarily the peak of competition.
Late into the season, and under the direction of Igor Tudor, Gonzalez did have a few solid performances in the push for Champions League qualification, netting two goals in crucial home matches against Monza and then Udinese. That said, both matchups ended in 2-0 wins, so if they had never scored, the victory would still belong to Juventus, albeit shakily.
Like many, Gonzalez was victim to the shirt maybe being a bit to heavy for him in his first season, so now all there is left to do is wait and see.
Juventus v Genoa - Serie A Photo by Image Photo Agency/Getty Images
Dusan Vlahovic — 5.5
Appearances: 41; Minutes Played: 2,569; Goals: 15; Assists: 5; Yellow Cards: 4; Red Cards: 0
Analyzing Vlahovic is not an easy feat, as stat lines do give him some level of positive light, but Juventus supporters who suffer through match after match don’t necessarily see it that way.
The Serbian once compared himself to Erling Haaland, and for the sake of this exercise, comparison is important. Realistic comparison, that is. But let’s not stop there, as Manchester City is just one of the big clubs in Europe along with Juventus, so let’s look also at Barcelona and Inter Milan. Haaland netted 31 goals across all competitions, Robert Lewandowski of Barcelona netted 42, and Lautaro Martinez found the back of the net 22 times for the Nerazzurri.
Now, after all of that, Vlahovic does still seem like an alright, if not mildly impressive player with 15 goals across all competitions. Admittedly, he’s had his moments. But this season was really the first to prove that maybe the Serbian can’t play among the big boys of the top leagues.
What Vlahovic excels at are set pieces and penalty shots. But a season of poor finishing, heavy touches, being trapped by defenders, bad passing, and getting upset because everyone else isn’t simply feeding him the ball just to sky his shot or send it left of the post is hard to defend when you’re the league’s highest paid player.
Now, with the benefit of hindsight, Vlahovic’s particular scenario at Juventus since he signed in January 2022 is not one without immeasurable pressure. He was Fiorentina’s hottest player for the 2021 calendar year, brought to Juventus after the close of the CR7 era to be the new face of the club, only to lose Paulo Dybala, Federico Chiesa, and fellow countryman Filip Kostic in the process, and then be subjected to an extremely new team and manager that did not work out tactically for the bulk of the season.
As he seems to be leaving Juventus soon, there are still lingering questions about the Serbian that simply will never be answered. But it can be put this way, the second half of the 2021-22 season for Vlahovic was not the end-all, be-all decider of his skill, but he did net nine goals in 21 matches. As his time with Max Allegri progressed, Vlahovic did get better, although his on-field tantrums and slamming his fists into the grass were a difficult watch. With Motta, there was early success followed by droughts and then the eventual arrival of Randal Kolo-Muani.
If Vlahovic will be remembered for anything during his time in Turin, it’s the consistency of his inconsistency.
Juventus v Monza - Serie A Photo by Image Photo Agency/Getty Images
Timothy Weah — 6
Appearances: 42; Minutes Played: 2,296; Goals: 6; Assists: 5; Yellow Cards: 5; Red Cards: 0
Weah’s early days at the club put him in much more of a defensive role, so it was good to see Motta give him more of a chance to play in a natural attacking position during the 2024-25 season. While the start of his season was marred by a few different injuries, Weah showcased an extremely important characteristic, that he’s fast. Not speedy like Conceicao or quick like Yildiz, rather a lightning bolt on the breakaway. Weah started this past season well, barreling down the right wing past midfielders and defenders, keeping tight possession before a cross, or in some cases taking the shot himself, resulting in the bulk of his goals coming from the first 12 matchdays. His goal and performance against Inter in the most competitive match of the season gave him much-needed momentum, which he cashed in during the 2-2 draw against Parma the next week with a goal and an assist.
But then something odd happened, not just to Weah but to a good bulk of players this season. Right as fall turned into winter his performances, as well as appearances, began to stagnate. Playing the majority of match minutes up until his late-December hamstring injury, Weah was unremarkable after his goal against Torino on matchday 12. After a few scattered goals and assists in the league and the Champions League, he became more of a right back as the defensive injury plague entered its second phase.
From there, it became more about stopping goals than scoring them, and he did that to his best ability with a fragmented and disheartened defense by his side. By the end of the season, he was a left and right midfielder, and again was very much OK.
The hypothetical game is never fun, but what would Weah’s season have been if he wasn’t a victim of circumstance and allowed to remain on the wings?
Parma v Juventus - Serie A Photo by Emmanuele Ciancaglini/Ciancaphoto Studio/Getty Images
Francisco Conceicao — 6
Appearances: 37; Minutes Played: 2,054; Goals: 5; Assists: 6; Yellow Cards: 5; Red Cards: 1
Early on, “Chico” was all the rage for the new Juventus.
The way he glided up the wing, maneuvered past defenders, and found his way into the box was incredible. Especially with his short stature as he faced against hulking defenders. His performance against RB Leipzig gained him widespread favor in the squad, and his assist in the 4-4 draw against Inter also earned him some season rating points. Take a guy with speed, dribbling ability, and a feverish need to be in the box and take the shot, and the club is set, right?
Not exactly.
The glitter of Conceicao wore off quickly as Juventus entered the midpoint of the season, and by then the wing-pass-the-defender-then-cut-in act showed him as a bit of a one-trick pony.
Now, why does he get a 6 after being accused of being so predictable. The answer to this came on Feb. 16, where the absolute deadlock grudge match versus Inter, which a loss could have meant a Nerazzurri Scudetto, was settled by the Portuguese player. While Kolo-Muani had lost control of the ball in the box, courtesy of Francesco Acerbi, Conceicao appeared out of thin air and fired the ball past Yann Sommer, giving Juventus just enough of a lead to end in a victory.
It’s looking more and more like Chico will not stay with Juventus past the Club World Cup, but he’ll always be able to cherish sending Inter packing at home.
Napoli v Juventus - Serie A Photo by Image Photo Agency/Getty Images
Randal Kolo Muani — 7.5
Appearances: 23; Minutes Played: 1,524; Goals: 8; Assists: 2; Yellow Cards: 0; Red Cards: 0
It must be a sad thing to see your club win the treble while you’re on loan to one of the worst Juventus teams in recent memory. But what RKM can take solace in knowing is that he was exactly what the team needed. The loanee came to Juventus at a time of turmoil, where Vlahovic was the only striker, goals were drying up, and the draws had become too many to count on two hands.
Enter the Frenchman, who netted five goals in his first three matches and was credited with the assist in Conceicao’s goal against Inter. Now, was Kolo-Muani going to go on a prolific, Real Madrid-style scoring run? Absolutely not, but he shined a light on exactly what Vlahovic was doing wrong. The Frenchman moved freely, not isolating himself in the box and waiting. He brought creativity to attacking runs, and wasn’t afraid to run or move further back towards the defensive half if necessary. Importantly, his back was not alway to the net, and he wasn’t afraid to take risky chances if it meant a potential goalscoring opportunity.
Now, there was an eight-match gap between goals at one point that stretched from February to April, but with everything Juventus fans have seen this past few seasons when it comes to droughts, the loanee can be given a little more breathing room, and as the season came to a close, he was back to his goal scoring ways in a time that would make or break European competition. He found the back of the net against Monza, Lazio, and Venezia, and in the end can be described as a serious factor as to why Juventus will be playing in the Champions League next fall.
Whatever happens to him, Kolo-Muani will be remembered as much more than a footnote in a poor season.
FC Internazionale v Juventus - Serie A Photo by Giuseppe Bellini/Getty Images
Kenan Yildiz — 8
Appearances: 48; Minutes Played: 3270; Goals: 9; Assists: 7; Yellow Cards: 3; Red Cards: 1
Statistics aside, Yildiz gave Juventus something intangible this season: hope.
No matter the odds, no matter how poor performances of his teammates were, the Starboy gave everything he had. In fact, there is not much bad that can be said about the Turkish winger, as he excels in dribbling, passing, shooting, and possession.
But aside from all of that, what gives him such a high rating?
Well, an argument can be made that you can’t judge a player’s season off of one match, but what if it was that match? The one where Juventus came back from a two goal deficit and were able to salvage a draw that left the oftentimes outspoken Simone Inzaghi searching for words to cope. Yes, Yildiz was the best forward of the season, but the Inter draw spoke leaps and bounds about where this young man’s career may be going, and as a hint, it’s going far. In an era of insane transfer sums, trophy-chasing, and favoring individual legacy over club legacy, Yildiz has set himself apart both by his love of Juventus as a club and by his ability on the pitch — so much so that he dedicated a goal to Alessandro Del Piero, the player in Juventus history that has arguably the most love ever for the club, on his 50th birthday. All while wearing his number, too.
After all this, there are some scattered negatives to talk about for Juventus’ Starboy, and that is his little scuffle with a Monza player in late April. Now this probably isn’t the exact wording, but there are most certainly rules against backhanding an opposing player. This resulted in a two-match ban, and even worse, Yildiz was unable to play on his 20th birthday against Lazio.
Time will tell what this youngster can do for Juventus, but for right now it’s imperative to keep him in black and white, he could be the one that turns things around.
Arkadiuz Milik — s/v
Appearances: 0; Minutes Played: 0; Goals: 0; Assists: 0; Yellow Cards: 0; Red Cards: 0
After his red card against Empoli last season, the match that kicked off Juventus’ steady decline and removal from any title contention, it’s a toss up as to what effect the Polish international may have had on the 2024-25 campaign. So instead of analyzing the “what ifs” of Milik’s hypothetical performance, his rating for this season is much like the player himself — not there.
Lorenzo Anghele — s/v
Appearances: 1; Minutes Played: 5; Goals: 0; Assists: 0; Yellow Cards: 0; Red Cards: 0
The victory against Hellas Verona back in August was much like a stock market surge that comes right before a massive sell off, as the next three matches resulted in draws across the board. Though he was no more than a footnote in this match, Anghele did appear for a brief five-minute window, but only after the scoreline completely cemented Juventus’ victory.
Needless to say, this 20-year-old Italian, made zero impact in the match, and played the rest of his season in Serie C as a winger, attacking midfielder, center forward, and yes, a second striker.
Diego Pugino — s/v
Appearances: 1; Minutes Played: 6; Goals: 0; Assists: 0; Yellow Cards: 0; Red Cards: 0
Another youth player who fans may not know about unless they shelled out $70 for a copy of EAFC 25, Pugino only saw six minutes of action against Lecce in December. Again, he is technically a center forward, but since Timothy Weah played all 90 minutes of that same match, Mr. Pugino was a winger that replaced Conceicao for less time than it would take to make a cup of coffee.