Dusan Vlahovic has delivered a potential blow to Arsenal’s hopes of luring him to the Premier League while insisting that his ambition remains to fire Juventus to Serie A glory.
And with the Scudetto seemingly out of reach this season – runaway leaders Inter Milan racing 15 points clear of a Juventus side who slipped up at Napoli on Sanday – Masimiliano Allegri’s £70 million centre-forward will have to wait until 2025 at the earliest to get his hands on the coveted Scudetto trophy.
HITC Football understands that Arsenal, who tried and failed to sign Dusan Vlahovic before his big-money move from Fiorentina to Turin two years ago, remain very interested in the burly Serbia international.
But while Vlahovic is yet to commit his future to Juventus by way of a new contract, the comments he made after that Napoli reverse provide the biggest indication yet that he will still be wearing black-and-white next term.
Arsenal face more Dusan Vlahovic frustration
“In my opinion, the coach was very good at including all these young people. There are 18 and 19-year-olds. He did a great job including us all together,” Vlahovic, a relative elder statesman among a new generation of Juve talent, tells DAZN.
“We must continue on this path. And, from next year, we must expect to win the Scudetto. At Juventus, winning is what counts. Nothing else matters.
“We must continue to follow the coach. (The lessons we have learned) are things that we will need next year.”
Vlahovic has scored 15 goals in 24 Serie A games this season. A tally which, while not exactly fearsome, remains impressive. Especially when you consider that Allegri’s Juventus are not exactly renowned for their chance-a-minute creativity.
There remains a feeling that Vlahovic would find goals a lot easier to come by in a team set up in a more free-flowing style, such as an Arsenal outfit who smashed six past Sheffield United on Monday night.
Likened to Erling Haaland
“If I were in Guardiola’s shoes and they told me ‘You have to swap Vlahovic and (Erling) Haaland’, I would do it calmly. Dusan has nothing to envy the Norwegian for,” former Italy goalkeeper Giovanni Galli tells Tuttosport.
“At Juventus he must take advantage of the few opportunities that come their way, because the Bianconeri are not a team that creates 10 chances every game, like City.
“I’d like to see him in a more attacking team. If he were at Manchester City, he would also score 50 goals a season like Haaland. I’m sure of it.”
HITC Football understands that there is interest at Arsenal in Brentford’s wantaway talisman Ivan Toney. The Gunners are also looking at midfielders and right-backs, with Aston Villa’s Douglas Luiz, Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi and Fiorentina’s Michael Kayode under consideration.
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