Juventus transfer target Dusan Vlahovic has rejected Fiorentina’s new contract offer, club president Rocco Commisso confirmed.
Vlahovic burst onto the scene last season in Florence as he netted 21 times in 37 Serie A appearances. His prolific campaign saw him garner plenty of interest in the summer, but La Viola were able to keep hold of him.
Manchester City, Atletico Madrid, Tottenham Hotspur, Borussia Dortmund and Juventus were among the clubs snooping around, but the Bianconeri never made a serious pursuit amid their financial woes.
However, Fiorentina will likely be forced to sell the 21-year-old next summer after Commisso wrote that the Serbian striker has opted against extending his contract in Florence. Vlahovic’s current deal expires at the end of the 2022/23 season.
The president’s statement
Dichiarazione del Presidente Rocco Commisso.#Fiorentina #ACFFiorentina
— ACF Fiorentina (@acffiorentina) October 5, 2021
Fiorentina published a statement from president Commisso on Tuesday morning in which he confirmed that Vlahovic would not be renewing his contract with the club despite their generous offer.
“Since my arrival in Florence, I have always promised our fans that I would be honest with them and that I would never make any promises that I couldn’t keep,” Commisso opened.
“I would therefore like to update the Viola people on an issue that has been talked about and written about a lot in recent months, namely the renewal of Dusan Vlahovic’s contract.
“As you know, Fiorentina made a very important offer to the player, a contract proposal that would have made him the highest-paid player in the history of the club.
“Our offer had also been improved on several occasions over time, to meet the demands of both Dusan and his entourage, but despite our best efforts, the renewal proposal was not accepted,” he added.
Juventus’ interest
Vlahovic’s situation is poised to ignite a Hunger Games of sorts among Europe’s elite next summer for the 21-year-old’s signature.
Juventus are poised to be one of the club’s involved and various reports have suggested that the Bianconeri have already made contact with the player’s agent.
Nicolo Schira understands Juve are in “advanced negotiations” with Vlahovic’s entourage and will seek to complete a deal next summer that resembles the structure of their move for Federico Chiesa (two-year loan with obligation to buy).
Calciomercato.com (via @JuveFC) adds that the Serb is Juve’s “big target” for 2022 as Federico Cherubini attempts to build his team for the future.
Nevertheless, Vlahovic’s refusal means Fiorentina will have little leverage in negotiations with interested clubs. They certainly won’t be able to demand the €100m they sought in the summer.
Let the games begin!