Dusan Vlahovic made the Serie A switch from Fiorentina to the Bianconeri on his 22nd birthday in January 2022, turning down the advances of Arsenal.
His return of 41 goals in 64 games for Fiorentina resulted in a five-year deal with a whopping annual wage of €12 million (US$13.8m), which made him the highest-paid player in the Italian top tier.
He was swiftly handed the coveted no7 jersey by the Turin titans, which had previously been sported by Portuguese icon Cristiano Ronaldo, and became an instant hit at the club.
Misery under Motta
Vlahovic was ticking along nicely under the tutelage of Max Allegri, but after he was given the boot and Thiago Motta took the reins things got trickier.
The 25-year-old gradually fell out of favor under Motta, who subjected Vlahovic to a bit-part of nothing more than a bench-warmer after forward Kolo Muani arrived on loan from Paris Saint-Germain last January.
There were offers tabled for Vlahovic during the winter transfer window, but he didn’t fancy moving to either the Saudi Pro League or the Turkish Super Lig.
After Thiago was axed in late March, Igor Tudor arrived as interim manager. The former Juve defender and unsuccessful assistant head coach with the Bianconeri was a surprise choice.
Third boss arrived
Yet the arrival of the no nonsense Croatian appeared to be good news for Vlahovic, as he was full of admiration for the center forward that he publicly claimed was the best Serie A striker.
Although Vlahovic initially was used as a starter by Tudor, after some niggling injuries sidelined him and once again he fell down the pecking order. Muani was unleashed and made an impact.
Vlahovic finished last season as the club’s top scorer with 15 strikes, but he has been way off the mark of his prolific record at Fiorentina. He has bagged 56 goals in 143 appearances for Juventus, which has seen his price tag tumble this summer to around €45m (US$51.8m).
Premier League radar
There has been long-term Premier League interest in securing his signature from Arsenal, Aston Villa, Manchester United and Newcastle United. However, his high salary demands on top of the transfer fee makes Vlahovic an expensive acquisition,
Allegri has recently been appointed AC Milan manager, his first role since the unceremonious exit from Juve, and is eager to be reunited with Vlahovic. The sticking point is his annual salary, with the club only prepared to fork out €7m (US$8m).
Fenerbahce remain keen to land him, but again their wage offer of €10m (US$11.5m) a season falls short of his current salary.
If he is determined to earn big bucks then the Saudi Pro League is his best bet, although staying at Juventus for the 2025/26 campaign allows him to keep earning massive amounts of money.
No takers last year
The Bianconeri have been trying to offload Vlahovic for the past 12 months, last summer his market value was twice as much as now. Understandably, there were no interested parties as he was no longer a goal machine.
Vlahovic is an industrious player. Yet last season he received very little service, so his scoring record was pretty impressive despite slotting home a plethora of penalties.
There is a problem over his future. The club wish to cash in before he becomes a free agent, and should he be sold this frees up the finances to replace him with an upgrade.
Swede Viktor Gyokeyes and Canadian Jonathan David are Juve’s top two targets to fill Vlahovic’s boots, but the club will hold off brokering a deal until they have shifted Vlahovic.
Big stage to showcase
There’s the imminent 2025 FIFA Club World Cup for Vlahovic to showcase his scoring skills.
Yet he will only wish to sign for a club where he can be guaranteed minutes because he will want to represent Serbia at next year’s FIFA World Cup finals.
It could be a gamble should he stick with Juventus to see out his contract, as the club may get the hump and utilize him as a substitute. Much depends on whether a new striker is brought in this summer.
He is not in their good books because he refused to enter a contract extension, as Juventus are adamant about significantly reducing Vlahovic’s salary.
Paycheck or silverware?
He knows, but appears not to appreciate, that clubs will not be prepared to equal his Juve salary. If his motivation is to collect a hefty paycheck rather than try to win silverware, then Juventus is ideal for him next season.
Juventus clearly do not wish to be stuck with Vlahovic for another year. They have got the ball rolling for their strategy to swiftly move him, with the Club World Cup their best bet.
Should they fail to find a new club for Vlahovic during the summer, Juve face losing one of their prized assets for nothing. That would produce an obstacle because without funds to replace him with a top-class attacker, which is easier said than done.