Manchester United are a club to watch in the race for Dusan Vlahovic, while TEAMtalk understands that one of their Premier League rivals are NOT interested, contrary to reports.
The Red Devils are drawing up a shortlist of striker targets for the summer by using a data-led approach and there are certain profiles that they appreciate.
Victor Osimhen is a player appreciated by Man Utd, but his release clause price tag of €75m (£62.8m, $81m) makes a deal difficult, especially when his wage is also factored in.
Man Utd need to sell players before they can afford that kind of outlay. As for Vlahovic, his Juventus contract expires in 2026, so he may be available for cheaper than Osimhen, in terms of fee, wage and agent fees.
Last summer, Juventus valued Vlahovic at between €40m (£33.5m, $43.2m) and €50m (£41.9m, $54m). Given the 25-year-old will only a year remaining on his contract this summer, if he doesn’t sign an extension, he could be available for less.
Sources state there is nothing advanced between Man Utd and Vlahovic. His name has simply come up in initial internal talks, but a potential move for the Serbian international cannot be discounted. The Red Devils are still working out what’s possible with their budget and they may need a bit more time to decide who they’ll focus their efforts on.
TEAMtalk also understands that despite some suggestions in the winter window, Chelsea are not interested in Vlahovic. They have other names on their radar, such as Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap, RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko, Viktor Gyokeres and even Newcastle’s Alexander Isak, should he genuinely become available.
Vlahovic has notched 55 goals in 135 appearances for Juventus, but has played less consistently since the Italian giants signed Randal Kolo Muani on loan from PSG in January.
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Dusan Vlahovic one of several Man Utd striker targets
Man Utd are another club to watch in the race for Delap. We can also confirm that they have looked at the possibility of signing Lille striker Jonathan David on a free transfer.
West Ham and Barcelona are among several European suitors also interested in David. The 25-year-old will not sign a contract extension with Lille, so is set to become a free agent in June.
Delap, David and Vlahovic are all being looked at by Man Utd but their striker hunt is still in its early stages and a lot will depend on how much cash they can generate from player sales. Natrually links with Manchester United and Gyokeres will emerge given Ruben Amorim’s arrival at Old Trafford, but it’s too early to tell if United will enter the race, and if that kind of transfer, as with Osimhen, is feasible.
The race for Vlahovic is open at this stage and there is also the possibility that after months of uncertainty, he could pen a contract extension with Juventus.
The relationship between Vlahovic and Thiago Motta was a difficult one, but now that Motta has been relieved of his duties as Juventus manager, things could change.
The feeling among sources is that Juve’s new boss, Igor Tudor would like to keep Vlahovic and he will prove a good fit in his system. It would not be a surprise therefore if Vlahovic ends up staying in Turin.
Man Utd are admirers of Vlahovic but that is as far as their interest goes at this stage and they have not made contact over a transfer with Juve or his representatives.
Osimhen, Vlahovic, Delap and David are all options for the Red Devils and who they focus on will largely depend on how much money they have to spend this summer.
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IN FOCUS: Vlahovic vs Hojlund and Zirkze e
Vlahovic v Hojlund v Zirkzee: Appearances 34 39 44 Goals 14 8 6 Assists 2 2 2 Minutes per goal 161.7 293.8 343.3
How Vlahovic has compared to Hojlund and Zirkzee this season – scoring as many goals as them put together