BREAKING: Juventus are willing to deal powerful striker Dusan Vlahovic to Arsenal after the Italian club indicated a desire for one of Mikel Arteta’s players in exchange. Both players are willing to switch clubs- Mikel Arteta is more than ‘glad’ to welcome his new striker to the club.
Juventus is considering a trade for Dusan Vlahovic with Arsenal.
Juventus are reportedly willing to sanction Dusan Vlahovic’s departure to Arsenal or Chelsea in 2024 as part of a swap arrangement.
The Old Lady went head-to-head with Arsenal for the Serbian’s signature in January 2022, having seen Vlahovic excel in a Fiorentina shirt.
The 23-year-old eventually turned down an offer from Arsenal to join Massimiliano Allegri’s Juventus, but he has yet to replicate the form that drew Juve to pay €81.6 million (£71.1 million) for his services.
Vlahovic has 27 goals and seven assists in 69 games for Juventus since joining the Bianconeri, including four goals in his first four games of the 2023-24 Serie A season.
However, he failed to score against Sassuolo and Lecce last month, and he has missed Juve’s past two league games against Atalanta BC and Torino due to a back injury.
Despite his problems in black and white, Vlahovic remains widely connected with a move to the Premier League, although he is under contract until 2026 and is expected to be renewed in Turin.
Nonetheless, a report from TuttoJuve, via football.london, indicates that Juventus would be willing to let Vlahovic leave in 2024 in exchange for a player or two in a part-exchange deal.
Arsenal and Chelsea are thought to be the two primary contenders for Vlahovic’s signature, with Real Madrid – who have yet to acquire a permanent successor to Karim Benzema – also interested.
Juventus sporting director Cristiano Giuntioli recently acknowledged that Chelsea made a proposal for Vlahovic’s services over the summer, but the Blues were unable to meet their asking price, which is thought to be in the region of €80 million (£69.7 million).
A player-plus-cash deal featuring Romelu Lukaku was also discussed, but neither deal came to fruition, and the Belgian finally joined Roma on a season-long loan.
Chelsea signed Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson in the summer after Kai Havertz left for Arsenal, but the former is yet to make his competitive debut due to a severe knee injury.
Meanwhile, Jackson has been guilty of squandering several golden opportunities in the early stages of the season, and Mauricio Pochettino’s desire to add another striker to his squad is no secret.
Despite mostly playing up front for Chelsea, Havertz has been converted into a midfielder for Arsenal, where Eddie Nketiah and Gabriel Jesus are battling for the starting spot.
However, Jesus has been plagued by injuries and has been played out wide to cover for the injured Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli, while Nketiah has yet to score more than five Premier League goals in a single season.
Vlahovic is not thought to be a top target for Arsenal, who are instead focused on a move for Brentford’s Ivan Toney, who returns from a lengthy betting suspension in January.
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