Juventus forward Ikoma-Loïs Openda has entered the final stretch of a summer that has systematically reduced his standing within Luciano Spalletti's squad, with the bianconeri's transfer business continuing to orbit around him rather than include him. The club's second signing of the window, Zeki Celik from Roma, adds further evidence that Juventus are building a different kind of team — one in which Openda's profile is increasingly peripheral.
The numbers from 2024-25 offer little ammunition for a counter-argument. Across 24 Serie A appearances, the 26-year-old Belgian managed one goal and no assists, finishing the season with an average rating of 6.50. For a forward, those are figures that invite scrutiny rather than reward loyalty. Juventus ended the campaign sixth in the table on 68 points — respectable in terms of defensive solidity, with only 32 goals conceded across 37 matches, but modest in attack with 59 scored. A forward who contributes one goal in 24 outings does not resolve that imbalance.
Spalletti's Juventus are simultaneously managing a UEFA settlement agreement that imposes constraints on their market activity, which makes every transfer decision carry compounded weight. In that context, the club's willingness to pursue multiple attacking options while Openda's name circulates in departure discussions is not coincidental. Resources are finite; priorities are being stated through action.
The Vlahovic situation adds a further layer of complexity to Juventus's forward planning. With Besiktas pressing for an answer on the Serbian striker and Spalletti publicly setting conditions for any reopening of negotiations, the attacking department is in flux. Openda sits somewhere in that uncertainty — not the subject of the headline dispute, but not insulated from its consequences either.
His AI overall score of 60 out of a potential 72 suggests a player whose ceiling has not been reached, but ceiling projections matter less than present output when a club is recalibrating under financial and sporting pressure. Spalletti has shown no inclination to build around a forward producing at Openda's current rate, and the arrival of Celik — a defensive signing — signals that the squad rebuild is following a different architectural logic entirely.
Openda's exit from Turin is not yet confirmed, but the direction of travel is clear enough. Every window that passes without a new contract or a public endorsement from the coaching staff is a window that edges him closer to the door. At 26, he retains enough time to rebuild elsewhere; the question is whether Juventus will wait for the right offer or accept that the separation is overdue.