Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United will have to battle it out with Arsenal and Chelsea to sign Juventus forward Dusan Vlahovic.
According to a report from La Gazzetta dello Sport, Newcastle United, Arsenal, and Chelsea are all interested in the services of Dusan Vlahovic, who is expected to be on the move this summer. Juventus are ready to cash in on him, and the Premier League looks the most likely destination for the Serbian striker.
Vlahovic made a name for himself at Fiorentina before joining Juventus at the start of 2022. While he might not have lit up the world, the 25-year-old striker has been a consistent performer for the Turin-based outfit.
His contract at the club runs until the summer of 2026, but he might end up parting ways with them this summer. Juventus’ financial situation has been deteriorating of late, and they can no longer afford to pay Vlahovic’s massive €12 million per year salary.
The Serbian international is unwilling to sign a new deal with reduced terms. As a result, Juventus don’t have any options to pay with and are prepared to listen to offers for the 25-year-old, as they don’t want to risk him running down his contract and leaving for free.
His contract situation even affected his game time as Thiago Motta preferred having winter signing Randal Kolo Muani in the starting XI. Juventus are now willing to let him have more game time as not playing regularly could hamper his value.
Vlahovic could secure a move to the Premier League
The Premier League have emerged as a potential destination as the Old Lady look to raise around €40-€45 million from his sale. Newcastle are one of the clubs that are keen on signing him. The Magpies seek more firepower in the final third amidst uncertainity around the future of their star forward, Alexander Isak.
If the Swedish international does end up leaving, they will certainly have to bring in a world-class forward to replace him, and Vlahovic certainly fits the bill. However, the Tyneside club are not alone in the race, as they will have to compete with Chelsea and Arsenal, both clubs showed interest in him during the winter transfer window.
Following the injury to Gabriel Jesus, the Gunners did consider the idea of signing the Serbian striker. While they didn’t go ahead with it back in the day, the North London club retain interest in him.
Even Chelsea did think about adding Vlahovic to their squad during negotiations with Juventus over a dry loan for Renato Veiga in January. While they did not go ahead with it back then, they will be in the market for a new striker who can support Nicolas Jackson, and the Juventus star is on their wishlist.