Earlier in the summer, Dusan Vlahovic had emerged as one of the potential attacking targets for Barcelona.
The Catalans, after all, were looking for someone who could serve as a long-term replacement for the ageing Robert Lewandowski.
Vlahovic, to that end, had emerged as the ideal candidate due to his style of play and what he can offer inside the box.
Barcelona no longer interested in Vlahovic
However, a fresh report from Diario SPORT has claimed that Barcelona are no longer interested in Dusan Vlahovic.
The report suggests that the club had included him on its shortlist to bolster the attack, but the player’s performance this season has sown many doubts in the club.
This is hardly surprising as the forward has scored only 6 goals in 17 matches with Juventus this season. In addition, he suffered an injury that will keep him out for three months.
Dusan Vlahovic, Juventus striker
Vlahovic’s form at Juventus has been subpar this season. (Photo by Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images)
Vlahovic’s goalscoring record wasn’t up to the standards Barcelona were looking for anyway. Therefore, the club have decided to abandon their pursuit of the Serbian forward.
Vlahovic’s overall record at Juventus is not particularly eye-catching either, with the striker scoring 64 goals in nearly 200 competitive appearances.
If we average this 40 per season, Vlahovic has scored about 12 goals per season for Juventus, which is below par for someone who is expected to be world-class.
With Vlahovic no longer an option, the onus will be on Barça to comb through the market for a replacement.
The club have been linked with a move for Borussia Dortmund’s Serhou Guirassy, but his form has died down considerably this year. So it will be interesting to see how the club go about their business when it comes to finding the right number nine.