Fiorentina defender Matija Nastasic has told Telegraf he fully expects Dusan Vlahovic to be the main hope of whichever team he joins, amid transfer interest from Tottenham Hotspur.
The former Manchester City enforcer joined I Viola this summer and has played three times with Vlahovic so far. The pair have also represented Serbia together on four occasions.
Vlahovic is enjoying another prolific campaign at the Artemio Franchi Stadium this season with 12 goals in 14 games. He netted 21 in 40 outings across all competitions last term.
Only Ciro Immobile has also scored 10 Serie A goals so far this season. While only Cristiano Ronaldo (29), Romelu Lukaku (24) and Luis Muriel (22) outscored Vlahovic (21) in 2020/21.
Tottenham are keen admirers of Vlahovic’s ability, with Corriere dello Sport citing Spurs as the frontrunners for his transfer. Gianluca Di Marzio also notes Fiorentina will ask for €80m (£68m) to sell the striker, who turned down becoming the Tuscan side’s best-paid player.
Nastasic tips Tottenham transfer target Vlahovic for the top
Vlahovic has impressed Nastasic greatly since the defender joined the Tottenham transfer target at Fiorentina. He now has no doubts the striker will be the shining light for Serbia and whichever club he joins, having performed at such a level and ignored all speculation.
“We are all witnesses of how Dusan plays and how he behaves,” Nastasic said. “I sincerely hope that his health will serve him, he is very young and he plays at such a high level.
“I have no doubt that in the future he will be the main hope of the national team and the club in which he will play. He is here, you could say, the biggest star. Because you all saw how many goals he scored and with what sacrifice he plays for Fiorentina.
“He was not disturbed by the stories about the transfer and the extension of the contract. He is a professional, he works to the maximum and it is certain that the fans show him respect on every corner.”
Fiorentina have a replacement in mind should Tottenham or a rival suitor pay their fee for a transfer for Vlahovic. As Calciomercato note I Viola like Sassuolo’s Gianluca Scamacca.
But Spurs may yet miss out as the Daily Mail claim Manchester United have entered the race for the 21-year-old. While Gazzetta dello Sport note Juventus will make a bid of €50m (£42.5m) to poach the forward in January.
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