What Marco Ottolini’s Appointment Means For Juventus’ January Transfer Business
Marco Ottolini has a verbal agreement to join Juventus for a second stint, ending the Bianconeri's long search for a new sporting director.
Charlie Rhodes
Updated on 24 December 2025
Juventus are set to appoint Marco Ottolini to head up their transfer department, just in time for the January window.
The club have been without a permanent sporting director since Cristiano Giuntoli was relieved on his duties towards the end of last season.
Giuntoli’s two seasons at the helm was dotted with questionable decision making, overseeing the disastrous signing of Douglas Luiz, allowing Dean Huijsen to leave for relatively cheap, and mismanaging both Max Allegri and Thiago Motta.
Club legend Claudio Marchisio urged the club to show restraint in a recent interview, but when it comes their search for a new sporting director, they have certainly done just that.
Giuntoli’s relationship with club officials and the fans alike was brimming with mistrust from day one, and his dismissal was a champagne on ice moment for Juve.
They have bided their time to find a suitable candidate, despite the likes of Matteo Tognozzi, Ricky Massara and Hasan Salihamidzic all being touted as Juventus’ next sporting director since Giuntoli’s departure.
Marco Ottolini ha risolto il contratto con il @GenoaCFC, ora sarà libero di firmare con la @JuventusFC
— Gianluca Di Marzio (@DiMarzio) December 23, 2025
Why Have Juventus Appointed Marco Ottolini?
With Juventus now striking a verbal agreement with Marco Ottolini, the club are confident the former Genoa director has the market savvy to remedy Giuntoli’s costly mistakes.
Ottolini held several roles at Juventus after joining as a scout in 2018, before climbing up the ranks to become loans manager in 2021.
However, his ability to unearth gems and turn a profit at Genoa is where Ottolini’s reputation has been moulded.
After being appointed as sporting director in 2022, Ottolini made a sizeable return on the likes of Mateo Retegui, Radu Dragusin, Koni De Winter, Albert Gudmundsson and Josep Martinez, while also bringing in the likes of Djed Spence and Juventus target Brooke Norton-Cuffy.
Juve’s well-documented struggles in the transfer market in recent years calls for leadership with a proven track record for buying and selling at the right price, and Ottolini fits the billing.
What Ottolini’s Arrival May Signal For Juventus’ January Transfer Business
Contract Extensions
Marco Ottolini’s first order of business may not necessarily be diving head first into the transfer market, but rather sorting issues closer to home.
Filip Kostic, Weston McKennie and Dusan Vlahovic all have contracts that are set to expire in the summer, and Ottolini must decide whether these are players worth keeping.
Kostic is the likeliest to be deemed surplus to requirements after turning 33 last month, while Weston McKennie is continually linked with a move away from Turin, as his contract standoff continues.
Ottolini may look to accelerate McKennie’s departure in January, so as not to run the risk of letting him leave on a free in the summer.
As for Dusan Vlahovic, the club are due to table contract talks before January, but Juventus are unwilling to offer him improved terms with the Serbian’s performances failing to warrant a bumper extension.
Much like McKennie, the club must decide whether to recoup some money for him now before his contract expires, or strike a new deal on their own terms.
Luciano Spalletti’s arrival has sparked some hope in restoring Vlahovic’s confidence, after his performances suffered under Igor Tudor.
Potential Incomings
Damien Comolli, who has been temporarily in charge of Juve’s sporting direction, said in an interview in November: “We have some constraints, Financial Fair Play, and we have to be careful.
“We received a letter from the controlling body. What we do in January will be very difficult and closely monitored. We don’t have any specific plans. We’ll look around, but nothing significant.”
Marco Ottolini, therefore, will not have much room to manoeuvre unless Juventus can shift on players for a fee.
Cagliari’s Marco Palestra is a January target that is highly admired across Serie A, and the 20-year-old is viewed as the ideal candidate to fix a stuttering defence.
Atalanta rejected a sizeable bid from Liverpool before the start of the season, and his stock has only increased. Given Juve’s precarious financial position, a more likely option may be Brooke Norton-Cuffy, who Ottolini knows particularly well after masterminding his arrival at Genoa.
The Englishman could be available for as little as €15 million, although Genoa will likely play hardball with the knowledge that Juventus are desperate, and likely won’t be ready to give special treatment to Ottolini.
Charlie Rhodes
Charlie has built a deep portfolio across a wealth of sports websites, with a heavy focus on Europe's top five leagues. He has a long-standing interest in Serie A having grown up watching Football Italia on Channel 4 as a child. With extensive experience tailored towards news, long-form content and heavily researched features, Charlie has also garnered experience in several roles in the fintech and marketing sector.
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