Nottingham Forest’s striker hunt has seen plenty of names linked with the club, but the response of one to the interest should be enough for Evangelos Marinakis to move on entirely.
Igor Jesus’ arrival at Forest is imminent, which has eased the pressure on finding a striker for Nuno Espírito Santo’s side, but forwards with more European experience continue to be linked.
Most notably, reports suggested that Forest had bid for Yoane Wissa once more to add the guarantee of Premier League experience, but Thomas Frank wants to bring Wissa to Tottenham, which has complicated matters.
Pedigree in UEFA competitions could also tempt Forest into a move, but one striker who fits the bill has just sent the Reds a rather off-putting demand.
Dusan Vlahovic celebrates his goal during Juventus' Serie A match against Udinese.
Photo by Image Photo Agency/Getty Images
Dusan Vlahovic makes disrespectful demand amid Nottingham Forest links
Perhaps the most high-profile name linked, Forest have shown interest in Dusan Vlahovic of Juventus to bolster the attacking line, with the Serbian hitman boasting Champions League experience.
It’s thought that Vlahovic is keen to move to the Premier League and that Forest are firmly in the race, but according to TEAMtalk, he may have talked himself out of a move to the City Ground.
The report said: “Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic has his heart set on a move to the Premier League, and Nottingham Forest are leading the race for his signature.
“[…] Forest are the most concrete option for Vlahovic, as things stand. The Tricky Trees have shown interest and made contact with the forward’s representatives in recent weeks.
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“However, the 25-year-old is in no rush to make a decision and wants to wait and see if other top Premier League clubs come forward before choosing his next destination.”
Clearly a talented player, Vlahovic is holding out for a move to one of the ‘big 6’ clubs, and if that’s the case, Forest should stay well away from the 25-year-old rather than biding time for him to make a decision.
Besides, from the underlying statistics of the pair, someone like Wissa would be a much more valuable addition to Forest than Vlahovic.
Yoane Wissa has more to offer Forest than Dusan Vlahovic
Vlahovic is a rather strange case, as despite putting up solid numbers for Juventus in his four seasons at the club, the Italian giants have been looking to sell him for a number of windows.
However, if he is to stall on a move to Forest, Wissa would be a superior striker in terms of both ability and versatility.
Statistic Yoane Wissa Dusan Vlahovic
Appearances 39 42
Goals 20 15
Chances created per 90 0.86 0.76
Duels won % 44.9% 37.8%
Dispossessed per 90 1.08 1.41
Yoane Wissa and Dusan Vlahovic’s seasons compared
In terms of the fundamentals of an Espírito Santo striker, Vlahovic doesn’t outperform Wissa in any aspect, with the Congolese man scoring more goals in fewer appearances last season.
Wissa also creates more for his teammates, while winning more duels and losing the ball less frequently than the Juventus striker.
Therefore, there’s simply no reason for Forest to wait on Vlahovic and his pining for another Premier League club to enter the race with someone as good as Wissa as an alternative target.