“ON ONE CONDITION”- Arsenal target Dusan Vlahovic sends Mikel Arteta a transfer message following Arsenal’s pursuit of a clinical striker than Gabriel Jesus despite scoring Hattrick yesterday
“ON ONE CONDITION”- Arsenal target Dusan Vlahovic sends Mikel Arteta a transfer message following Arsenal’s pursuit of a clinical striker than Gabriel Jesus
Dusan Vlahovic sends Mikel Arteta a transfer message
Dusan Vlahovic sent Arsenal and Mikel Arteta a transfer message on Tuesday evening with a fantastic goal and impressive performance for Juventus.
Juventus thrashed Cagliari 4-0 in the Coppa Italia last 16 in Turin, with Vlahovic opening the scoring
Vlahovic has often been criticised for his laboured movement and inability with his back to goal but he turned brilliantly on a sixpence inside the area with his marker behind him to shoot into the bottom corner.
The Serbian later had two goals disallowed for offside in perhaps his best domestic performance of the season.
Vlahovic’s display will have impressed Arsenal manager Arteta, who is heavily reported to be weighing up a January bid for the player.
Arteta is a big fan of the 24-year-old, having failed to sign him in January 2022 when he left Fiorentina for Juventus.
Arteta feels that Vlahovic is the number nine that Arsenal are missing as their title challenge falters this season.
There were reports on Tuesday that Arsenal could offer Gabriel Jesus to Juventus in part-exchange for Vlahovic in January.
Why Juventus could sell Vlahovic in January
And should Arsenal make a bid in January, Juventus would definitely consider selling.
There are a number of reasons for this.
The first is financial. Vlahovic has a contract in Turin that expires in 2026 and renewal talks are not going well.
Vlahovic is the highest-paid player in Serie A on €12 million per season and Juventus are not willing to continue paying him that much given both his underpar performances on the pitch and the club’s new policy of lowering the wage ceiling
If a new contract can’t be agreed soon – which seems unlikely – Juventus will have no option but to sell Vlahovic in one of the next two transfer windows to avoid losing him on a free transfer in 2026.
Vlahovic’s value will be lower in the summer than it will in January, so Juventus know they can make more money selling next month.
The second reason for selling Vlahovic is his inadequate performances on the pitch.
Vlahovic rejected a move to the Emirates in favour of joining Juventus for €80m from Fiorentina in January 2022.
At the time Vlahovic was considered the hottest young striking property in Europe after Erling Haaland, scoring a record 33 Serie A goals in the 2021 calendar year for Fiorentina.
But he has generally been a disappointment in his three years in Turin.
He scored just 14 goals in 42 games in his first full season and his overall game was equally disappointing last season despite finding the net 18 times in all competitions.
And this season, despite being under a new manager in Thiago Motta, Vlahovic has continued to be inconsistent in front of goal – despite 11 goals in all competitions – and simply not good enough in his overall play.
Vlahovic has been mocked for his inability to play with his back to goal, his heavy first touch, his laboured movement and his inability to link up with his teammates.
Juventus have struggled badly offensively this season and while the reason for this can also be directed at Motta and a horrific injury crisis, the increasing feeling in Turin is that Vlahovic needs to be upgraded.
Coupled with the financial issues surrounding Vlahovic, Juventus will be open to selling the striker.
In order to do so, though, they would need an adequate transfer fee. It has been suggested €60m but Juventus may even consider less.
Dusan Vlahovic sends Mikel Arteta a transfer message
