Recruited from Fiorentina by Juventus for an amount which exceeded 85 million euros, Dušan Vlahović arrived in the winter of 2022 in Piedmont with the status of young striker coveted by all of Europe. Since then, if his balance sheet remains as encouraging as ever (124 matches, 53 goals, 11 assists), the native of Belgrade is no longer as essential in the Old Lady’s sporting project, as evidenced by the winter rumors in recent days. Indeed, according to the Italian press, the Turin management, which has prioritized the search for new central defenders, is also active on its offensive lines with numerous targets at the top of the list including Randal Kolo Muani of Paris Saint-Germain, Joshua Zirkzee from Manchester United but also Niclas Füllkrug from West Ham. In this sense, and by domino effect, Vlahović, who has experienced slight benign physical problems recently, was mentioned on the shelves of PSG, Arsenal but also Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham.
The numbers are still on his side, but the former Fiorentina’s popularity among fans and journalists is declining: “he is a player who works a lot. He even did extra workouts to get in shape. I have confidence in all my players. They know what we have to do and I know they will do it, both defensively and offensively. We all agree on this: it is an obligation, not an option. Here, we all run, attack and defend together. I trust everyone, including Dusan», Recently affirmed the Italian coach who has never hidden his attachment and his confidence in his Serbian striker. However, the future of Dušan Vlahović seems to be written further and further away from Piedmont. Three key points have completely changed Juventus’ plans with the native of Belgrade and today, the former Fiorentina nugget has never been as close to leaving Italy as during this winter transfer window .
A broken dialogue with Juve
A few months ago, a departure from Dušan Vlahović seemed curiously improbable. Worse still, the negotiations for an extension, which began a year ago, were on very good track. But discussions for renewal are now at a standstill. And it will be difficult to reach a new agreement: “The relationships are extraordinary. He still has one year left on his contract, we will see each other again after the transfer market. There is still time to sort things out and move forward in the best way possible», However, explained sports director Cristiano Giuntoli. A new meeting will nevertheless be organized in February with the player’s agent, but it is unlikely that the parties will reach an agreement. While his contract will end in June 2026, Dušan Vlahović receives a salary of 12 million euros net, around 23 million gross, no longer benefiting from the advantages of the decree on growth in Italy. Juventus, faithful to its new philosophy of reducing expenses, would like to lower the Serbian player’s salary by adding several bonuses or by spreading his salary over several years. But the 24-year-old striker remains firm and does not want to settle for lower numbers than his current contract.
Then, from a tactical point of view, Dušan Vlahović has difficulty thriving in the collective set up by Thiago Motta. Despite still positive statistics (23 matches, 12 goals in all competitions), the system remains inadequate for the Serbian international who also returned to this point in a press conference: “it’s easier to play with another attacker, like I’m doing here in the selection with Mitrovic. He engages in a lot of duels, offers himself as a pivot and opens up spaces for me: I can make the most of my characteristics, too, because the coach frees me from defensive duties. This is positive for a player with my physical structure: when I press and follow the opponents, I risk being tired and less lucid in front of goal“, he explained. Motta’s 4-2-3-1 prevents Vlahović from fully using his qualities, unlike the national team where he relies on Dušan Tadić, Aleksandar Mitrović and even Luka Jović. Between Massimiliano Allegri who advocated a game that was too restricted and not offensive enough and Thiago Motta who relied above all on collective verticality with a single point of active offensive support, the former Partizan nugget was never put in the conditions adequate at Juventus and at 24, the time has probably arrived to find a new situation. The Bianconeri want to avoid a situation similar to that of Federico Chiesa who ended up being put on the bench and then sold off to Liverpool so as not to lose him for free.
The last element which accelerates the divorce with Juventus: the psychological discomfort of the player, often the victim of racist remarks in Italian stadiums because of his Serbian origins – a community often taken to task in Italy and insulted as “gypsy”. This is a much less publicized detail, but for several weeks, Dušan Vlahović has also been the subject of several allegations about his private life. Indeed, whistleblower Fabrizio Corona publicly alleged, without any real tangible proof, that Vlahović would be “the fourth homosexual player playing in Serie A this season” and that he would be preparing to “come out” despite a supposed internal pressure from Juventus leaders who would do everything to “prevent the homosexuality of its 24-year-old striker from being revealed”. Especially since Fabrizio Corona is not at his first attempt. He is at the origin of the recent revelations on the assault of a woman by Théo Hernandez or those on the sports betting affair last season involving Sandro Tonali and Nicolò Fagioli. Last week, Fabrizio Corona brought it up again by publishing videos taken from hotel surveillance cameras in which we can see Dušan Vlahović entering a room with several women and a man, which the former photographer interpreted as being escorts. Lots of noise, no confirmation, but this affair caused a stir in Italy and interfered with the Serbian attacker’s daily life. Looking to the future, Vlahović’s centrality in the Juventus project is increasingly relative.
