Alessio Tacchinardi demands a new centre‑forward for Juventus in January – Woltemade criticises

Former Juventus midfielder Alessio Tacchinardi said over the weekend that the Bianconeri urgently need to sign a new centre‑forward in January because, in his opinion, Nick Woltemade is not the solution they are looking for. The German comes from Newcastle United on loan and has so far only received 78 minutes of playing time in Serie A.

Loan player Woltemade in focus

Woltemade was loaned to Juventus by the Magpies, i.e., Newcastle United, at the end of the transfer window. In his debut season with the Magpies he played under the new coach Matthias Jaissle, where, according to Tacchinardi, he received “bad cards”. Since his arrival in Turin he has only started one match – the Europa League game against NEC Nijmegen, where he scored his only goal from the penalty spot.

Tacchinardi criticises the attacking options

After the 1‑1 away defeat to Cagliari over the weekend, in which Woltemade was substituted on in the second half, Tacchinardi told Sportmediaset: “They have wasted two points even though they created many chances and had a lot of possession.” He added that Juventus cannot take the next step in their development. In addition to Woltemade, Tacchinardi also criticised Randal Kolo Muani, noting that Muani struggles to play alone and therefore needs a partner who is “not a classic centre‑forward.”

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The 51‑year‑old former star emphasized that Juventus lost the central striker Dusan Vlahovic to Besiktas in the summer without a transfer fee. Without a purchase option for Woltemade, who is contractually tied to Newcastle until 2031, Tacchinardi sees the need to look for a new centre‑forward in January to support Kolo Muani.

Woltemade, who hails from Germany, has so far only made one appearance in Serie A and was most recently substituted on in the second half against Cagliari, but was unable to make any further contribution. His total playing time of 78 minutes and the single penalty goal in the Europa League constitute the only measurable performances for Juventus this season.

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