Juve head coach Igor Tudor will soon get the ball rolling with his revamp before the Serie A season, although the club were unsuccessful at selling forwards Samuel Mbangula and Timothy Weah last week.
An agreement was in place with Nottingham Forest for the pair, only for the players’ representatives to reject the deal. There’s friction between their agents and the club, which could unsettle the training camp ahead of their Club World Cup last 16 tie against Real Madrid.
The duo are expected to find suitors, and Juve’s options upfront are likely to get further depleted as the club are intent on loaning out Poland international Arkadiusz Milik.
Replacements for center forward Dusan Vlahovic, who is the highest paid Serie A player with an annual salary of €12 million (US$14m), have been touted for months.
Sporting Lisbon’s Gyokeres has narrowed it down to a choice between Arsenal, Juventus or Manchester United. Yet there’s been an ongoing saga about the 27-year-old’s price tag, which has delayed a club landing the goal-hungry Swedish international.
Deadline date for free agent
Juventus have given David, who becomes a free agent at the end of the month from LOSC Lille, a deadline of mid-July to make up his mind over signing for the Turin titans. The Canada hot-shot, who was on CONCACAF Gold Cup duty until they lost their quater-final to Guatemala, is chewing over matters.
However, Juve won’t be rushed into bringing in an expensive forward if Vlahovic refuses to leave. The club hierarchy want to cash in on the Serbia international before his contract expires next June.
There has been a standoff about extending his deal, as the club wishes to dramatically cut his wages. A winter move to the Saudi Pro League or the Turkish Super Lig were turned down by Vlahovic, and he accepted a bit-role under Thiago Motta this year until the manager was axed in March.
Tudor yet to trust striker
It must have been music to Vlahovic’s ears when Igor Tudor, an avid fan of the 25-year-old forward, was appointed as interim boss for the final nine Serie A games.
Yet Vlahovic didn’t manage to get his groove back from being a benchwarmer in the Italian top tier. Although he started against Manchester City, and found the back of the net to add to his spot-kick against Wydad AC at the Club World Cup.
The cash-rich tournament was perfect timing for Vlahovic to showcase his skills, especially under newly appointed permanent boss Tudor. He has a plethora of teams monitoring his situation but nothing concrete.
There’s a huge obstacle, which is money. No other club is prepared to match or better his annual salary.
Reuniting with former Juve manager Max Allegri at AC Milan would result in a wage cut of €5m (US$5.8m), although he could earn €10m (US$11.6m) a year should he sign for Jose Mourinho’s Istanbul giants Fenerbahce or make a U-turn about the Saudi Pro League.
High profile teams put off
Premier League teams have been put off by a combination of his transfer fee and steep salary demands, leaving Vlahovic prepared to wind down his lucrative contract with Juventus if necessary.
Vlahovic cost the Bianconeri a whopping €85m (US$98.6m) from Fiorentina in early 2022, but not been as prolific with his scoring feats for Juventus.
The club have been gradually reducing their asking price, with his current value just €25m (US$29m) in order to take him off the wage bill and make way for a high-profile replacement such as David or Gyokeres.
If Vlahovic continues to not play ball with Juventus, it will be intriguing to see if Tudor will freeze out his top-rated Serie A striker in the same manner as former Juve forward Federico Chiesa.
Liverpool linked with Vlahovic
Italian international Chiesa was sold on the cheap to Liverpool last season, but has been a flop for the Premier League champions. Antonio Conte, his former Juventus boss, is keen to bring him to Napoli to revive his career.
Liverpool have been offered Vlahovic, but have not tabled an offer as they have been tentatively looking at strikers with proven Premier League. Brighton & Hove Albion’s Joao Pedro and Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak, as well as lethal marksmen like Gyokeres and Juventus target Victor Osimhen, are their priorities.
Vlahovic is not in the same league as goal machines like Gyokeres and Osimhen, which is why Juventus want to upgrade him.
His stance, because of a lucrative contract that expires in June 2026, seems to be that he’s content to take the money and continue to make rare substitute appearances.
A fall out could be costly
A falling out with the club hierarchy is one thing, to lose face with the Juventus Ultras is another, but should he earn the wrath of scorn from no-nonsense boss Tudor he jeopardizes his World Cup involvement.
He will need to be getting regular minutes to earn an international call-up when Serbia tackle next year’s FIFA World Cup finals. It would be a dangerous game for Vlahovic to play by digging his heels in and collecting a hefty paycheck each month.
Vlahovic needs to shift through the gears when Juve tackle Real Madrid in the Club World Cup, and should he decide to stay then needs to deliver during his final season with the Bianconeri.