Gianluigi Buffon: Dusan Vlahovic is one of the best youngsters in the world

Juventus have received almost universal praise for their stunning swoop of Fiorentina striker Dusan Vlahović and Bianconeri hero Gianluigi Buffon is the latest to wax lyrical over the move.

Buffon, who left Juve for a second time in the summer as he returned to Serie B outfit Parma, is today celebrating his 44th birthday. Tanti Auguri, Gigi!

The veteran has continued to defy time this season as he’s started all of Parma’s 19 Serie B games thus far, conceding a respectable 22 times. He departed Juve in the summer having amassed 685 appearances for the Old Lady (second-most all-time) and winning ten Scudetti. During his two-decade-long spell in Turin, the goalkeeping icon played with some of the all-time greats including Alessandro Del Piero and Cristiano Ronaldo.

And in a recent interview with La Gazzetta Dello Sport, Buffon piled on the praise for a 21-year-old who has the potential to forge his own legacy in Turin (not to put the pressure on, or anything!).

Juventus legend Gianluigi Buffon believes Dusan Vlahović is the “best youngster in the world” alongside Kylian Mbappe & Erling Braut Haaland

After a quiet opening three weeks to the January transfer window, Juventus swooped almost out of nowhere to reach an agreement with Fiorentina for Vlahović. The deal, worth €75m, was wrapped up on Thursday night and the Serbian striker arrived at J-Medical on Friday to complete his medical.

An official announcement is expected soon.

Like all of us, Buffon was “surprised” at Juventus’ big-money move for Vlahović but described the signing as “beautiful”.

“With [Erling Braut] Haaland and [Kylian] Mbappe, he is the best youngster in the world,” the Italian legend added. “He has something different, the presence of a big #9. And then it is an evolution: in my time there were no 1.90m players with such dynamism.”

Gigi, like all of us, can’t wait to see Dusan in action!