The ‘exceptional’ Dusan Vlahovic should stay at Fiorentina for another couple of years despite interest from Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United, former La Viola ace Lulu Oliveira told Tuttomercatoweb.
Last summer, Fiorentina’s outspoken owner Rocco Commisso made it clear that Federico Chiesa was absolutely not for sale.
A few weeks later, the Italy international was posing for photos in front of the Allianz Stadium, joining bitter rivals Juventus in a deal that enraged the Viola fanbase.
So Fiorentina supporters would be forgiven for taking Commisso’s latest promise with a pinch of salt. The owner told Gazzetta dello Sport that rising star Vlahovic is going nowhere this summer but, of course, we’ve heard that before.
With the Serbian striker rejecting the chance to sign a new contract at the Stadio Artemio Franchi, fears are growing that Vlahovic could follow in Chiesa’s footsteps (Gazzetta).
La Repubblica reports that Tottenham are interested as they scour the market for a potential Carlos Vinicius replacement, while West Ham’s striker search has taken them to the 21-year-old former Partizan Belgrade wonderkid (Calciomercato).
Vlahovic showcased his vast potential with a stunning hat-trick against Benevento on Saturday but, according to Oliveira, the youngster would be better served honing his talents in Florence before moving abroad.
“A great player, who has vision, a beautiful shot, spectacular. Alone, he can do exceptional things,” Oliveira said after Vlahovic’s first-half hat-trick – a feat not even the legendary Gabriel Batistuta managed in that iconic purple shirt.
“He is different from Bati. Vlahovic is a young boy, he is growing up and we hope he can progress further.
“We know that when there are interesting young players, the big clubs knock on the Viola’s door. Now it depends on Fiorentina. For me he must stay a few years in Florence: he has skills but he has to prove himself.
“His career is long and he must not think he has arrived.”
In total, Vlahovic has scored 12 Serie A goals this season; more than Andrea Belotti, Fabio Quagliarella, Hirving Lozano and Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
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