Dusan Vlahovic may be available this summer, with Juventus having made their demands clear.
As reported by Italian football journalist Alfredo Pedulla, Juventus have set a price of at least £64 million for Dusan Vlahovic amidst interest from Chelsea. The Italian giants are reluctant to sell but could have their hand forced by the sheer spending power of Premier League clubs.
Chelsea are desperate for a top level striker to lead the line at Stamford Bridge. However, if Juventus can be persuaded to part with Vlahovic then Arsenal would be wise to rekindle their interest in the Serbian hitman.
The Gunners made a converted effort to sign Vlahovic, then of Fiorentina, in January 2021, before the 23-year-old opted to join Juventus. Mikel Arteta has since brought Gabriel Jesus to the Emirates Stadium and his side have gone from strength to strength.
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Why Arsenal should consider Vlahovic again
Whilst Jesus has been excellent for Arsenal, and Eddie Nketiah has filled in admirably when the Brazilian has been absent, both strikers have quite a similar physical profile. Jesus likes to drop deep and engage in the build-up play, and Nketiah is a penally box poacher, however neither forward is a powerful, towering physical presence who can bully defenders. Vlahovic is exactly that. When Arsenal struggled against deep-lying defences last season, being able to turn to a target man who can dominate in the air would have been ideal.
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Bringing in Vlahovic would allow Arteta to mix up his game plans and make his side more unpredictable to play against. What’s more, Vlahovic is technically excellent, quick, and tactically astute, as well as being a 6’3” powerhouse.
Of course, he won’t come cheap. However, Arsenal look likely to cash in on the in-demand Folarin Balogun following his brilliant loan spell with Reims. His exit could go a long way towards funding a move for Vlahovic, or else Balogun, who has been targeted by Inter Milan and AC Milan, could be offered to Juventus as a makeweight in the deal.