That’s if any clubs are prepared to fork out €80 million (US$83.7m) on the Serbia striker, who remains Juve’s top scorer this term with 13 goals.
The 25-year-old has fallen down the pecking order with the Turin titans since his altercation with fans during the disappointing Serie A draw against rock-bottom Venezia.
Vlahovic slotted home a stoppage time spot-kick to save the blushes, which secured a point in the 2-2 stalemate. Head coach Thiago Motta had to watch in disbelief at his team’s dismal display from the stands, as the 42-year-old was suspended.
Since this eventful mid-December clash, Vlahovic has scored just once. Thundering home, after being released from the bench, in the 4-1 win over 10-men Empoli.
Despite Vlahovic’s last-gasp penalty against Venezia saving Motta from suffering his first-ever league defeat as Juventus boss, fans in the Curva Sud booed and threw insults at the Juve players as they saluted the crowd.
Vlahovic took issue with the reaction of frustrated home supporters, and since then has proved to be an unpopular figure with both fans and indeed Motta.
Having brushed aside Manchester City with ease in the Champions League midweek, supporters were expecting an avalanche of goals against Venezia. There were goals, with one ruled out by VAR for the Bianconeri. A share of the spoils was certainly never expected, not even by any optimistic Venezia fans.
Juve acted quickly during the winter transfer window after this debacle. As well as shoring up the defensive backline, Motta decided to bring in a versatile forward that was initially to play off the shoulder of Vlahovic.
The arrival of French international Kolo Muani, who was an outcast at Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain since arriving from the German Bundesliga, on a short-term loan with Juve has put Vlahovic’s nose out of joint.
Muani has stepped up to the mark, becoming the first choice out-and-out striker. This has resulted in Vlahovic being relegated to the bench, with either a cameo role towards the end of matches or not given any minutes whatsoever.
With Muani having made a massive impact in his four Serie A matches, responsible for the Bianconeri winning their past three league games, there seems no light at the end of the tunnel for disillusioned Vlahovic.
Muani has been explosive on the pitch, notching five goals from his first three Serie A outings to become the fastest-ever Juventus player to bag five league goals. The French international is fast catching up Vlahovic’s total, and could soon eclipse him.
If Muani’s exploits in front of goal continue, then the 26-year-old will almost certainly be recalled by the Ligue 1 leaders in the summer and not sold. That would leave a huge gap for head coach Motta to fill.
It was down to Muani’s brilliance, who fended off four defenders to set up the winner in Juve’s 1-0 Derby D’Italia triumph, that the Bianconeri narrowly beat bitter rivals Inter Milan. Francisco Conceicao took his close-range chance with aplomb to slam home and make the Curva Sud erupt with joy.
Vlahovic, who reportedly earns €12 million (US$12.5m) a season, has fallen off the radar of most clubs that expressed an interest in signing him during the January transfer window.
Arsenal and Chelsea showed interest, but neither team was prepared to pay such a high transfer fee for a player whose contract expires at the end of the 2025/26 season.
It is doubtful that they will continue to monitor Vlahovic, as it seems that they would only swoop once he becomes a free agent. Both clubs are tracking Atalanta forward Mateo Retegui and Borussia Dortmund winger Jamie Gittens, with Vlahovic a forgotten man.
Tottenham Hotspur, also a possible summer destination for Vlahovic, overlooked bringing him in last month. The stuttering London club instead opted for the short-term loan of teenage striker Mathys Tel from Bayern Munich.
Spurs are in a quandary as to whether to stick with head coach Ange Postecoglou for next season. Once they have decided about who will lead the side for the 2025/26 campaign, they can contemplate whether Vlahovic would be the right fit.
Manchester United are a side in decline, and desperately need a hard-working forward to save head coach Ruben Amorim from getting the boot before next season kicks off. Should the Red Devils stick with the Portuguese tactician for next term, then a swap deal involving Joshua Zirkzee for Vlahovic could be on the cards.
Netherlands international Zirkzee, who played under Motta at Bologna before signing for Manchester United last July, has failed to live up to the hype of his €42.5m (US$44.5m) price tag. Zirkzee has bagged just three goals in nine Premier League starts and 16 appearances from the bench.
Motta fine-tuned Zirkzee at Bologna, with the 23-year-old finding the back of the net 11 times during the 2023/24 season. Vlahovic’s total this term of 13 goals includes five penalties, but his physical prowess and ability to score seems to make him much more of an asset than Zirkzee.
Vlahovic failed to play a single minute in Juve’s past two Serie A games, when they stuttered past Como and then defeated Inter, but could be unleashed for this month’s Coppa Italia tie with Empoli.
Muani was the hero with a brace against Como, slotting home an 89th-minute penalty for an undeserved 2-1 success. And the 26-year-old set up the winner against Inter.
With such magic from Muani, it is becoming blatantly clear that Vlahovic is being less important to the Motta project.
With Juve keen to cash in before Vlahovic becomes a free agent is a simplistic task. Yet a swap deal for either Zirkzee or even Muani with PSG appears to be the best bet for the Bianconeri.
Only the Saudi Pro League could easily afford his high salary and Juventus’ fee, with Al-Nassr Vlahovic’s most likely destination in the Middle East.
There was no bid from the Riyadh-based club during the recent transfer window. Italian Stefano Pioli, who managed a string of Serie A clubs including Fiorentina, Inter Milan and Lazio, is the Al-Nassr head coach.
The club settled on securing the signature of Colombia international Jhon Duran from Aston Villa, who has scored four goals in two league games, rather than make an offer for Vlahovic.
Al-Nassr could approach Juve for Vlahovic during the summer transfer window, if they are seeking to become serious title challengers next term.
Although Muani has usurped Vlahovic in league action, he has yet to make an impact in European action. Muani was double man-marked out of the Champions League match against PSV Eindhoven.
Bearing in mind that Muani has been in constant action since joining Juve and that the Dutch champions will try to neutralise him again, then Vlahovic could get a rare start or appear as a second-half substitute for Muani in Wednesday’s second leg.
Although there are a handful of escape routes for Vlahovic, who has been humiliated by fans and in recent weeks by Motta as a reserve striker, the club need him to play more regularly to maintain his potential sell-on value.
There’s just no clear sign that he will be given the chance to prove his worth to Motta and Juventus, with Liverpool’s Darwin Nunez and Retegui lined up to replace the out of favour forward.
Being subjected to becoming no more than a bench warmer is a first for Vlahovic, and he has cut a forlorn figure in recent weeks. The dilemma is whether he is a forgotten man or a wanted man?