Koopmeiners’ Fate at Juventus: An Expensive Substitute and Transfer Trouble

The future of Dutch midfielder Teun Koopmeiners at Italian club Juventus remains uncertain. Unable to find his place in the Turin side, the player has failed to secure a spot in the starting XI and has become one of the club’s biggest transfer problems. According to GOAL.com, the management is facing serious difficulties in selling him. Goal.com reports that the player’s

adventure at Juventus began as badly as the previous season ended. Even the World Cup failed to improve the situation of the midfielder, who was born in 1998. Representing the Netherlands, he played against Japan, Sweden, Tunisia and Morocco but failed to produce a standout performance. Converting a penalty in the round-of-32 match against Morocco was his only bright moment. However, it neither prevented the team’s elimination from the tournament nor increased the player’s value on the transfer market.

After returning to Turin, Koopmeiners found himself in the same position as at the end of the 2025–26 season. For head coach Luciano Spalletti, he is not a regular in the ideal starting lineup. Last season, the coach tried changing the player’s position, using him both at centre-back and in the holding midfield role. However, these experiments failed to produce the expected result, and the Dutchman ultimately remained an “expensive substitute.”

Financial obstacles and transfer-market difficulties

The player was signed in 2024 for €54.7 million, rising to €61 million with bonuses. It was one of the most expensive deals in the club’s history, but it is now acknowledged that the investment has not paid off. Juventus’ summer friendlies also confirmed that Koopmeiners is not part of the starting XI.

The club’s general directors, Giovanni Carnevali and Frederic Massara, are trying to sell the player. However, Juventus would need at least €32.9 million to avoid a financial loss. His transfer fee and annual salary of €4.5 million are putting off potential buyers. Earlier negotiations with Roma and Bologna produced no result, while interest from Turkey and Saudi Arabia failed to reach an advanced stage.

A possible scenario for Koopmeiners’ departure

Under the current circumstances, a loan deal may be the only option capable of moving this complicated situation forward. If Juventus agree to loan out the player, the transfer market could begin to pick up.

Selling Koopmeiners could be a decisive step in fully reshaping Juventus’ midfield. In particular, the club is considering using the financial room created by his departure to pursue the signing of Franck Kessié. With the final weeks of the transfer window approaching, the management faces difficult decisions.