Even if he moved a little further east, towards Milan, Dusan would find a coach who appreciates him and is willing to relaunch him at a high level: under Max at the helm, Vlahovic enjoyed his most prolific Juventus season, scoring 16 goals in 33 games in 2023-24. In Milan too, if not even more so, he would find free space to re-establish himself in the penalty area after months hampered by physical problems: Allegri would be waiting for him, confident in entrusting him with full responsibility for the attack. Dusan is the center forward Milan has been searching for for years: since the Ibrahimovic transition, and with the sole exception of Giroud, the Rossoneri have been lacking a top-tier scorer. So much so that this summer, to make up for the lack of a striker, Max reinvented a strike partnership of Leao and Pulisic, two wingers who have found themselves close together, but without the successes envisioned at the start of the season.
Juventus is taking its time with Dusan Vlahovic, while AC Milan is trying again. “Don’t expect any news on his contract renewal before the end of the season,” Juventus CEO Damien Comolli assured in recent days.
Juventus, after investing €80 million (including bonuses) to acquire the forward from Fiorentina in January 2022, would like to extend his contract without having to somehow “buy back” the striker, spending a fortune on generous signing-on bonuses and commissions like any other free agent. The 26-year-old’s Belgrade manager and entourage are considering a “short” renewal: one or two years with a salary reduced by at least half the current €12 million net salary. This is less than Kenan Yildiz (€7 million since the summer) and even less than Vlahovic earned in his first years at Juventus: €7.5 million. The Bianconeri are confident in Vlahovic’s desire to relaunch himself after a disastrous season in an environment he knows well and with a coach who respects him like Spalletti. Dusan is aware of the technical and environmental advantages, but in the meantime, his entourage continues to look elsewhere. And in the transfer market, everything can change from one day to the next, especially for those whose contracts are expiring.