The Serbia striker is experiencing a standoff with the Bianconeri. Talks have stalled about extending his contract on a reduced salary.
He has constantly turned down the chance to move to the Saudi Pro League and Turkish Super Lig, and appears content to sit out next season with a juicy paycheck. Yet that could backfire and jeopardize his selection for the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals.
Although the potential to reunite with his former Juventus boss Max Allegri at ambitious AC Milan is an option, a massive pay cut has put him off.
Vlahovic was ticking along nicely under the tutelage of Allegri in Turin until the boss was given the boot.
Thiago Motta switched Serie A sides with a move from Bologna, with Vlahovic gradually falling out of favor and subjected to a bit-part after forward Kolo Muani arrived on loan from Paris Saint-Germain last January.
Moves with money snubbed
Despite offers tabled during the winter transfer window, Vlahovic didn’t fancy moving to either the Saudi Pro League or the Turkish Super Lig despite attactive salaries.
The 25-year-old wantaway center forward yearns to play in the Premier League, but it has been nothing but speculation from a vast array of clubs. Even cash swap deals have been rumored, but nothing has yet to materialize.
By being obstinate about his Juventus contract, which expires at the end of June 2026 before he becomes a free agent, and refusing to move on means that he will be frozen out of playing by head coach Igor Tudor.
No nonsense Tudor, who like his predecessor Motta, has clear favorites at the club and is fearless about wielding the axe.
Tudor has taken control
Tudor, who arrived as interim manager in March, championed Vlahovic as being the best striker in Serie A. Yet he didn’t set the league alight.
The FIFA Club World Cup was due to be Vlahovic’s chance to prove his worth to potential suitors.
Yet a combination of his stubbornness about renewing his contract, refusing to let the Bianconeri cash in before he becomes a free agent in a year’s time as well as his falling out with emerging superstar Kenan Yildiz led to being a benchwarmer at the cash-rich competition.
And being a benchwarmer is pretty much Vlahovic’s future with the Turin titans should he refuse to budge.
The club has unveiled their marquee signing Jonathan David, the New York-born Canada international, who has been a goal machine wherever he has played for club and country.
David will be paid €6 million (US$7m) per season, according to Italian sports paper Gazzetta dello Sport.
Vlahovic finished last season as the club’s top scorer with 15 strikes, which included five spot-kicks. He scored a penalty at the Club World Cup, against Wydad AC after appearing as a late substitute for the second match on the spin.
Given a starting berth against a makeshift Manchester City, Juve were outplayed to lose 5-2 but Vlahovic did find the back of the net.
He was surprisingly constantly scolding Turkish team-mate Yildiz throughout the tie, which appears to have further pushed him away from Tudor’s plans for next season.
Vlahovic has bagged 58 goals in 145 appearances for Juventus, which has been way off the mark of his prolific record at Fiorentina.
The fact that his price tag has dramatically tumbled from January’s €80m (US$93.8m) to around a quarter of that figure this summer, clearly indicates that the club just want him off their payroll with any transfer fee seen as a bonus.
Juventus had a total of 106 players on their payroll last season, with a whopping annual salary of €94.9m (US$111.4m) according to the website salarysport.
Bremer second to Vlahovic
Defender Gleison Bremer is the second highest paid Juve player on an annual wage of €9.2m (US$10.8m), on a contract that expires in June 2027. The Brazilian missed 45 games following a season-ending cruciate ligament tear last October.
However, he made his long awaited comeback as an unused substitute in the back-to-back Club World Cup defeats to Manchester City and Real Madrid.
The center-back was signed for €41m (US$48.1m) from city rivals Torino in July 2022, after being named as Serie A's best defender for the 2021/22 campaign. His arrival replaced Bayern Munich-bound Netherlands international Matthijs de Ligt.
Bremer played 110 times for Torino, after joining from Brazilian side Atletico Mineiro in 2018, and has made just 91 appearances for Juventus.
Flop Koopmeiners paid well
Versatile midfielder Teun Koopmeiners was tempted to Juventus last August for Project Motta. The Netherlands international cost the club €58.4m (US$68.5m) from Atalanta, having played a pivotal role to help the club lift the 2023/24 Europa League trophy.
Having bagged 33 goals in two seasons for Atalanta, Juve splashed the cash on a five-year deal to offer him a hefty annual salary of €6.8m (US$8m).
His Serie A season with Juve was a bit of a flop, frequently looking lacklustre in his 28 outings.
His Club World Cup campaign resulted in only one start, which lasted just under an hour, and three second-half substitute appearances. Although he did manage to score against minnows Al-Ain FC in the 5-0 thrashing.
Richly rewarded Locatelli
Manuel Locatelli, frequently given the captain’s armband, is the fourth highest paid Juventus player on €5.5m (US$6.4m) a year.
The Euro 2020 winner with Italy joined in August 2021 on a two-year loan from Sassuolo, with an obligation to buy. A permanent transfer in June 2023 resulted in a fee of €37.5m (US$44m).
The former AC Milan midfield star signed a five-year contract extension with Juventus in November 2023.
Juve currently have a plethora of highly-paid players that they would like to offload. These include midfielders Nicolas Gonzalez, Douglas Luiz and Weston McKennie as well as striker Arkadiusz Milik.
Low salaries for shining stars
While the club’s prized assets of shotstopper Michele Di Gregorio and winger Yildiz were surprisingly paid very little compared to their team–mates.
Gregorio, who joined on a season-long loan from AC Monza with an obligation to buy, turned down the approaches from Liverpool to play in Turin last summer. His salary was €1.2m (US$1.4m) last season.
Turkish talent Yildiz was down the pecking order as far as Juve wages were concerned, the former Juventus Next Gen ace pocketing €0.5m (US$0.6m) before bonuses.
No wonder the club have issued a hands off policy, although the 20-year-old has reportedly offered himself to Barcelona where his wages would be far superior to his current contract.