Arsenal have a chance to finally get their hands on Dusan Vlahovic after he was called “sensationally wrong” for joining Juventus. The Serb is a free agent as of this week following the expiration of his contract in Turin on Wednesday.
Vlahovic, 26, was one of Europe’s most in-demand forwards when he left Fiorentina in a £66million transfer four years ago. Arsenal were alleged to have lodged an offer worth around £60m that same summer in 2022 before he chose Juve instead.
Mikel Arteta looks content with Viktor Gyokeres as his leading man, while Kai Havertz impressed en route to the Premier League title when fit. However, in the interest of building on their first top-flight crown in 20 years, Arsenal may be wise to add another frontman of a similar profile to their options.
Speaking on Christian Vieiri’s Twitch channel, Bobo TV, in 2022, ex-Italy striker Antonio Cassano said: “In my opinion, [Vlahovic’s decision] is sensationally wrong.
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“For the type of player I think he is, he needed to make an intermediate step to a team like Arsenal, Tottenham [Hotspur], or Sevilla, who signed [Anthony] Martial. For me, you know, he has always been a second-tier player.”
Many Arsenal fans will find it intriguing that Vieri perceives Arsenal as an “intermediate” club, for starters. At the time of those comments, Juve had finished fourth in successive Serie A campaigns while Arsenal were on the verge of their rise to title contention under Arteta.
In any case, the Gunners haven’t missed out by not having Vlahovic among their ranks. They won the Premier League in their first season after signing Gyokeres as their new frontman, but may now endeavour to find depth at striker beyond the Swede.
View 2 ImagesVlahovic has been linked with a Premier League transfer for a number of years(Image: MARCO BERTORELLO / AFP via Getty Images)
To his credit, Vlahovic responded to Vieri’s claims and addressed the stories at the time regarding Arsenal’s bid for his services. And it seems the north Londoners were always on the back foot once the Bianconeri entered the conversation.
“Maybe my agent knows [about Arsenal’s offer], but I never talked to anyone about it,” he told The Telegraph. “I just had one club in my mind because Juventus is Juventus. There is nothing else to say. And now I feel honoured to be given this jersey. It’s incredible every time I put it on.
“I definitely identify with their DNA. The Juventus personality coincides with my personality. When you come here you never give up, you fight all the time, you make the sacrifices. This was definitely what I was looking for.”
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It’s doubtful as to whether he feels quite the same sense of allegiance today. Vlahovic was sparsely used this past season and started in only 13 of his 23 total appearances, though it underlines his value that he still recorded 10 goals in that time.
What’s more, at 26 years of age, it’s not like the Serb is over the hill, either. A return of 68 goals and 16 assists in 168 outings for Juve equates to a direct goal contribution every other game, which will make him one of the most valuable free-agent options on the market.
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Like most things, any deal will be decided by the finances, and reports have suggested Vlahovic’s demands may be considerable. However, he remains a prospect worthy of exploring if he’s willing to make certain sacrifices to engineer a move thar’s been almost half a decade in the making.
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