Arsenal, Manchester United and Juventus are all chasing the signature of Sweden and Sporting Lisbon striker Viktor Gyokeres.
There’s become a saga over which team is in pole position to land the 27-year-old, who was such a flop at Brighton & Hove Albion that he never made a Premier League appearance.
Gyokeres was offloaded to Coventry City, where he made such an impact in the English second tier that he was snapped up by Portuguese giants Sporting.
Having been so prolific during his two seasons in the Liga Portugal, the club slapped a staggering €100 million (US$115.6m) release clause. Yet they will accept less, with different rumors about the two Premier League teams' waning interest.
False speculation
Gyokeres took to social media last week to quash what he described as fake stories, including false quotes from his agent.
While Arsenal and Manchester United look at Gyokeres, but also consider alternatives, Juventus have been steadily concentrating on solely bringing in the goal-machine.
Ironically, one of United’s back-up plans if they fail to sign Gyokeres is 25-year-old Vlahovic.
The Serbia striker is the highest paid player in Serie A with an annual salary of €12m (US$13.9m). His wage demands and a high transfer fee has deterred a plethora of Premier League clubs despite serious interest from Aston Villa, Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest.
United sounded out
His representatives recently reached out to Manchester United, in a push for a Premier League club as his next destination. The physical demands and quick pace of the English top-flight would appear to suit Vlahovic.
Juventus have only the next two transfer windows to cash in on Vlahovic, who will become a free agent when his deal expires in 12 months. Talks about extending his contract have stalled, because he will not accept the pay cut proposed by the club.
The Bianconeri are keen to replenish their squad, with Vlahovic given the chance to showcase his skills at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup finals in the United States.
Cut-price bargain
Should there remain no takers after the month-long tournament, Juve could be open to a cut-price sale that could be as low as €25m (US$29m) for a player that was valued at almost four times that fee at the turn of the year.
There’s also the possibility of a part-swap deal with United as Juventus are keeping tabs on a trio of Old Trafford outcasts.
Vlahovic has received offers from AC Milan and Turkish team Fenerbachce, but they cannot match his salary requirements. There remains the opportunity to join the Saudi Pro League, but Vlahovic already turned that down during the winter transfer window and appears to prefer a Premier League switch.