Dusan Vlahovic is proving himself to be ‘the best striker in Europe’ amid reports suggesting that Premier League leaders Arsenal could renew their interest in Juventus’ Serie A frontman, team-mate Filip Kostic tells DAZN.
On paper at least, a tally of nine goals in 19 appearances hardly rubber-stamps Kostic’s claim that Vlahovic sits ahead of Victor Osimhen, Erling Haaland and co in the pantheon of Europe-based number nines.
But, as ever, things are not quite as black-and-white as they appear. And that’s not a reference to Juventus’ zebra-striped home shirt.
Vlahovic has actually started just 12 games in Serie A this season due to injury. And, even when he has featured from the off, Juventus have seldom looked like a team with enough creativity to get the best out of their £67 million talisman.
“Juve is in a period of change, and they’re encountering difficulties. Above all, in midfield,” former Italy international Luca Toni tells Gazzetta dello Sport.
“(Coach Max) Allegri is very good. But he’s struggling to find a midfield capable of supplying the attack. And when Vlahovic plays deep, he’s forced to play far from the goal.
“(Federico) Chiesa’s injury was also a real misfortune for Dusan.”
Could Arsenal make another move for Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic?
Vlahovic’s eye-watering tally of 29 goals in all competitions last season is proof of just how ruthlessly efficient he can be when supplied with a steady stream of chances. There is a feeling that even the irrepressible Haaland would struggle to trouble the Golden Boot standings in this Juventus team.
Given the lack of guile at Allegri’s disposal, Vlahovic’s eight goals in 12 league starts actually feels like a highly-respectable tally in hindsight.
“Dusan is a very important player for us,” argues Kostic, a team-mate of Vlahovic at club and international level. “He is the best striker in Europe, and it is important for us that he is back.
“Dusan had some problems the last few months. Now, he is back and scoring. But I know Dusan can do much, much better. He is at 100 per cent now, but I know he can reach 120 per cent.
“He is the best.”
With Juventus facing an uncertain future following that 15-point deduction, speculation surrounding Vlahovic is going nowhere. Calciomercato believe that missing out on Champions League football could force Il Bianconeri to sell some of their most coveted players. Vlahovic arguably the club’s most sellable asset. And there is now a 12-point gap between Juventus and fourth-place Roma.
La Repubblica insist that both Arsenal and Bayern Munich have been working on a deal for Vlahovic for ‘some time’. Both clubs – alongside Manchester United and Chelsea – could to go all-in for a an elite number nine in the summer.
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