The idea reads like a provocation in Serie A: the coach who built Inter’s recent trophy haul in Milan being lined up as the next man for Juventus’s bench in Turin.

That is the scenario sketched by Gazzetta dello Sport and picked up in Italian coverage this week. Simone Inzaghi, now at Al-Hilal, has emerged as the leading long-term candidate for the Juventus job if Luciano Spalletti does not turn his season around.

The move is not imminent. Inzaghi is contracted in Saudi Arabia, Spalletti remains in post, and the Italian reporting frames any switch as an end-of-season target rather than an autumn gamble.

Why an Inter name appeals in Turin

Inzaghi left Inter in June 2025 and signed a two-year contract with Al-Hilal. During a tenure at Inter that began in 2021, he won a Serie A title and multiple domestic trophies, before his final season ended with a 5-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final.

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That record is why Gazzetta places him at the top of the Juventus wishlist. According to the paper, his appeal lies in his ability to read a new dressing room quickly, to get the best out of his players, and to work with the club’s needs.

Spalletti’s margin is shrinking

The pressure on Spalletti hardened at the weekend. Juventus were beaten 3-0 at home by Lazio on Sunday evening.

Spalletti, who was suspended from the touchline for the game, delivered a blunt verdict afterwards.

“Without rhythm, ideas and running. Without availability. Fragile in their reactions to lost duels.”

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Juventus have yet to win a league match since club football resumed after the international break, and former Switzerland midfielder Valon Behrami said the club now has to assess its manager.

“Now I think we need to make some assessments of the coach,” Behrami said. “He’s at risk because the expectations we had were high, even if perhaps the real dimension is today.”

Spalletti extended his Juventus deal through 2028 earlier this year, and the board is reluctant to pay him off mid-season.

A caretaker option, and a longer play

If results do not improve, Gazzetta sketches two paths. Antonio Conte is described as the only name on the table capable of opening a new cycle immediately, with Stefano Pioli the caretaker profile under discussion.

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Inzaghi, in that scenario, is the summer play, not the autumn one. Juventus’s next tests are a Europa League trip to Rennes, followed by Serie A fixtures against Lecce, Genoa and Napoli.

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