Arsenal and Liverpool are set to battle in the January transfer window for Dusan Vlahovic, but the Fiorentina striker is currently most likely to stay in Serie A, per TuttoMercatoWEB.
Vlahovic is one of the most sought-after players in Europe ahead of the winter market after rejecting a new contract. Several Premier League and Italian top-flight outfits hold serious interest in the Serbian, who is out of contract in 2023.
Juventus and AC Milan are both preparing formal approaches to sign the 21-year-old in the mid-season window. Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur also want to make Fiorentina substantial offers to bring Vlahovic to England.
A Serie A switch is currently most likely should Fiorentina cash in on Vlahovic soon, after he snubbed an extension. President Rocco Commisso confirmed this week he turned down a lucrative new deal, which the Mirror claim was worth £35m.
“Fiorentina made a very significant offer to the player. Our proposal would have made him the highest-paid player in the history of the club,” Commisso said. “We also improved our offer on a number of occasions in order to accommodate the requests of both Dusan and his entourage. However, despite our efforts, those offers have not been accepted.”
Arsenal and Liverpool may face strong competition from Tottenham if they target Vlahovic in the January transfer window. Calciomercato report Spurs Chairman Daniel Levy is ready to make a big play for the Fiorentina star and has the budget to better Juventus and Milan.
How much would Liverpool and Arsenal have to pay for Vlahovic transfer?
The level of competition Arsenal and Liverpool would face for the transfer of Vlahovic will also allow Fiorentina to demand a mammoth sum. Gazzetta dello Sport report the Tuscan outfit want €90m (£76m) for their forward, who has scored six goals this season.
Vlahovic has fired home four in seven Serie A games and two in the Coppa Italia so far. He struck 21 times in 37 league appearances last season, while also recording his first goals for Serbia. But Viola are now looking to the future, with claims they are seeking replacements.
Potentially, then, parting with Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham and Juventus target Vlahovic, who Fiorentina icon Sebastien Frey rates highly. He said, via TMW last month: “He reminds me a little of [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic in the way he moves. I don’t hide that he’s amazing.”
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