TURIN, ITALY – NOVEMBER 01: Juventus winger Edon Zhegrova waves to fans after the Bianconeri’s 2-0 Serie A win over Napoli at the Allianz Stadium. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)
Juventus chose Jeff Ekhator for the UEFA list, swapping him in for injured captain Manuel Locatelli, and the competition’s rules forced the move ahead of Zhegrova. In my view, the club prioritized compliance over form.
TuttoMercatoWeb reports the Bianconeri finally replaced Locatelli, who underwent meniscus surgery in September and won’t return until next year. Ekhator rejoined the squad for Sunday’s 2-0 victory over Napoli after a lengthy lay‑off.
Form-wise, Zhegrova would have been the clear pick. The winger’s recent sharpness makes him one of Spalletti’s few fit attacking options, yet he’s ineligible.
UEFA’s homegrown rules forced Juventus to register Ekhator. Will the club manage a fully homegrown lineup once the transfer window closes?
UEFA mandates that every 25‑man A list contain at least four locally trained players from the club itself and up to four trained elsewhere in the same country.
Locatelli, a Milan academy graduate, counts as one of Juventus’s association‑trained slots, meaning any replacement must belong to the same category.
Ekhator, a product of Genoa’s academy, satisfies that criterion. Zhegrova, never having played in Italy before joining Juventus, would have taken a free‑slot spot, and those are already filled.