According to the Daily Express, Arsenal might finally get Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic in a cheap deal as the Serie A giants make him available in the January transfer window.
The Gunners reportedly proposed £88 million for the 23-year-old while he was at Fiorentina in January 2022. However, the striker turned down a transfer to North London because Arsenal were not as appealing then as they are now.
The Gunners had recently placed seventh and were not competing in any European tournament, so Vlahovic chose to join Juventus instead. According to the report, Juve spent £66 million plus add-ons for the Serbian international.
Since joining the Old Lady, Vlahovic has struggled to make an impression at Allianz Stadium. Prior to joining Massimiliano Allegri’s team, he was considered as one of Italy’s top attackers due to his excellent goal-scoring exploits with Fiorentina.
During his four years at Artemio Franchi Stadium, he made 108 appearances, scored 49 goals, and assisted on eight others. In his first season, the Serbian assisted Fiorentina in winning the Coppa Italia Primavera. In the 2020/21 season, he was named Serie A’s Best Young Player.
With four goals in 2021/22, the striker earned the Coppa Italia top scorer title and was nominated to the Serie A Team of the Year in the same season. He has 25 goals and seven assists in 66 outings for Juventus in all competitions.
Last season, he contributed 18 goals in 42 games as Juventus missed out on Champions League football after being docked 10 points. Vlahovic has two goals and an assist in three appearances for Juventus this season.
According to reports from the Daily Express, Vlahovic’s wages will automatically raise to £10m net per season starting next year, and Juve is eager to get him off their books.
According to the article, Juve had planned to earn a profit on the £66m they paid 18 months ago, but they now realize it is very improbable, and the Serie A giants may be obliged to accept a cut-price deal in January.
This might alarm Arsenal, and the North Londoners could finally get their hands on Vlahovic this winter.
Mikel Arteta was expected to bring in another forward during the summer window, but no deal was completed before the deadline. The Spanish coach might now rekindle his interest in Vlahovic, who would bring something fresh up front and compete with Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah.
