The recent hat-trick from Samuel Mbangula, now at Milan, has reignited the debate on the role of Juventus NextGen in training talents destined to build a career outside of Turin. The young Belgian, who made 25 appearances with the Juventus second team in the 2023/24 season, was promoted to the first team by Thiago Motta and, after a brief experience at Werder Bremen, returned to Italy with Bologna in September 2026. Alongside him, the Argentinian MatíasSoulé, who made the transition from NextGen to the first team and then to Roma, and the striker DanyMota, who began his career with Juventus Under23 before stabilizing at Monza, complete the "hat-trick" that captured the attention of fans and journalists.
The topic of Juventus NextGen has long been a subject of curiosity: how many former second team players have found success in other teams and leagues? TuttoMercatoWeb responded with a Top11, lined up in 4‑3‑2‑1, which shows the most significant paths. Among the goalkeepers, FrancoIsrael, a former Uruguayan NextGen player, played for Sporting Lisbon before moving to Torino. In defence, Nicolò Savona left Juventus for Nottingham Forest, RaduDragusin moved from Tottenham to Fiorentina, TarikMuharemovic found his growth at Sassuolo before moving to Leeds United, and KoniDeWinter, after experiences in SerieA with Empoli and Genoa, arrived at Milan. In midfield, FabioMiretti was sold to Besiktas, NicolòFagioli left Juventus for Fiorentina, and EnzoBarrenechea, after a loan spell, went to Benfica, where he underwent meniscus surgery in September 2026. Finally, DanyMota, who started his career with Juventus Under23, has become a point of reference for Monza.
In addition to these eleven, the list of former NextGens who continued their careers outside of Turin is much larger. Among the names mentioned are HansNicolussiCaviglia, MatheusPereira, StephyMavididi, ManoloPortanova, FilippoRanocchia, FrancoTongya, KaioJorge, SamuelIling‑Junior, TommasoBarbieri, JosephNonge, LuisHasa and PedroFelipe. These players have found opportunities in European and South American leagues, demonstrating the variety of destinies that can follow a Juventus NextGen team.
Mbangula's hat-trick is not intended as a criticism of Juventus' transfer system, but it raises a legitimate question: how difficult is it to predict who, leaving the club, will become a protagonist and who will need a different context to express themselves fully? NextGen was conceived precisely to offer young people a path towards professionalism, and the success of some former players demonstrates that that path can continue even away from home. With the season underway, many of these talents are looking to consolidate their position in the teams they have moved to, while Juventus continues to invest in training new talent in its second team.