‘Of course’: Agent thinks West Ham man could re-join his former club

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Nikola Vlasic looks set to leave Premier League outfit West Ham United in 2023 with the Croatian’s father and agent opening the door to a second spell in Russian football, speaking to Sport24 and Sport Express. 

it’s been quite the season for Nikola Vlasic. Quite the turnaroud, you could argue.

From West Ham’s forgotten man to World Cup semi-finalist, via a terrific run of form in Italy’s Serie A. Vlasic has been a man reborn since joining Torino on loan in August, and now finds himself potentially just 180 minutes away from a place in footballing folklore. 

The one-time Everton misfit is hardly one of the first names on Zlatko Dalic’s team sheet. But he did find the target in both of Croatia’s shootout victories over Japan and Brazil on Qatari soil. He’s certainly played his part in a stirring run to the last-four.

Croatian World Cup star Nikola Vlasic will leave West Ham United in 2023

Vlasic’s current mood, one suspects, will be very different to his final few months at the London Stadium; the £25 million signing from CSKA Moscow admitting last week that he was ‘unhappy’ with how life had turned down in East London. 

Torino are expected to reward Vlasic’s improved form with a permanent contract. The Granata can turn his loan into a full-time deal for a fee of £12 million (Tuttosport).  

Agent Tonci Marcic, however, is refusing to rule out a return to Russia for a man who won the RPL’s Footballer of the Year award back in 2020.

“Nikola has great memories of Russia,” Marcic explains. “So of course a return is possible. In football, you never know for sure.

“Of course, playing for CSKA was incredible both for Vlasic and for our entire family,” adds Josko Vlasic, the 25-year-old’s father. “This is (a key) part of his career. We will always remember this time.

“Can Nikola return to CSKA one day? Who knows. Nobody knows what might happen in the future.”

Torino hold all the cards as things stand, however. According to Tuttosport, Vlasic could sign a long-term deal until the summer of 2027 at Juventus’ near neighbours.