Jonathan David led Juventus to a 3-0 Serie A win over Napoli, yet Luciano Spalletti still underlined the need for another striker. David scored the opener in the 22nd minute, with Kenan Yildiz and Filip Kostic adding further goals, as Juventus moved within one point of Napoli at Allianz Stadium.
Despite that convincing margin, Spalletti stressed that Juventus still lack a specific profile in attack. The head coach praised David’s contribution and work rate but highlighted a different type of centre-forward as a priority. Spalletti’s comments came as Juventus continued their chase of the leaders in Serie A.
Juventus have shared goals across the squad in Serie A. Yildiz leads their league scoring with eight goals, followed by David on four, while
Kostic and Dusan Vlahovic both have three. Only Inter, with 50 goals, and Como, with 37, have scored more than Juventus’ 35 in the current league season.
Spalletti was delighted with David’s display and also highlighted Weston McKennie’s qualities in advanced areas. He said: "David is a strong player, and tonight he showed that he can hold his own in a duel in the box, where there's nospace, so it has to be taken away from the opponent,he said. If you put all your strength into those moments, it's fine; otherwise, you don't get there. He scored a goal as a proper striker. McKennie is a perfect central striker, one of the strongest as a centre-forward. He fights, he's strong in the air, and he's got an impressive leap. He plays to get results because he makes decisions. He would be a perfect striker. "
Even while praising David, Spalletti confirmed that Juventus could still enter the transfer market for another forward. Before kick-off, Juventus director Giorgio Chiellini said that Youssef En-Nesyri had rejected a move to Juventus. En-Nesyri is understood to favour a permanent transfer elsewhere during the current window rather than a switch to Turin.
Spalletti later explained in detail the type of striker Juventus are missing. "There are strikers like [Rasmus] Hojlund who drop into midfield, you smash the ball into them, and they still make it playable,Spalletti added. That's something we don't have. David is fine for scoring goals, but when you look further, you also need someone who battles physically with the centre-back. We don't need a striker to score goals, but for that kind of job. David is very strong, but he can't do that kind of job. If the team manages not to concede goals and David keeps scoring, like he is now. Then we'll still keep our heads above the water we can breathe, and everything is perfect. "
David’s goal came at Alex Meret's near post after sharp movement inside the penalty area. The Canadian has now scored in consecutive home league matches for the first time since April 2024, when David played in Ligue 1 for Lille against Marseille and Strasbourg. This latest strike brought David to four goals in 21 Serie A appearances since his summer arrival.
Juventus also produced a notable result historically against Napoli. This was the first time since 10 November 2013 that Juventus won a Serie A fixture against Napoli by at least three goals. Spalletti still warned his players about game management, saying: "The match was always open because when you don't finish your chances and the result isn't safe, something unexpected can come from any episode. "
Key attacking numbers from Juventus’ Serie A campaign so far are shown below.
David’s goal and the contributions from Yildiz and Kostic turned Antonio Conte’s return to Turin into a difficult evening. Spalletti, however, focused more on structure than celebration, stressing defensive solidity and the hunt for a more physical reference in attack. The coach suggested Juventus can compete strongly if the defence stays solid and David maintains this scoring rhythm.
J.David#JuveNapoli [3-0] pic.twitter.com/TQyKkAO2KcJuventusFC(@juventusfcen) January 25, 2026
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