FBL-ITA-SERIE A-TORINO-JUVENTUS
FBL-ITA-SERIE A-TORINO-JUVENTUS
Manchester United have a few different needs left to address in the transfer market, with a marquee midfield signing and a left-back seemingly given priority at the moment. There is also a potential need at striker behind Benjamin Sesko. Joshua Zirkzee is a player the club is looking to move off of, and if they succeed, they’ll need to identify a cost-effective replacement.
One free agent option is Dusan Vlahovic, once a promising young forward whose numbers fell off after a big-money move to Juventus in Serie A. The Serbian striker scored 10 goals in 23 games for Juve last season.
However, Vlahovic is just 25 and likely looking for somewhere to rediscover his form rather than play second fiddle. If he were to join United, it would likely be for a sizeable spot on the payroll and the opportunity to challenge Sesko to start.
Vlahovic made an immediate impact for Juventus in 2022 as a January arrival from Serie A rivals Fiorentina. He scored 20 goals in 24 matches in Florence before he switched to Turin, and added another nine goals for the campaign. His move was secured in the region of €70 million with add-ons as well, but his contributions dipped after his debut campaign.
Vlahovic failed to replicate his form as a top goalscorer in the remaining four seasons at Juventus. He scored at least 10 goals in every season, but never more than 18. Given the disparity in valuation between the player and his agent and the club, a contract extension could not be negotiated. Vlahovic left the club this summer as a free agent.
The wage demands of Vlahovic reported by Tuttosport were in the region of £130,000 per week, which Juventus was unwilling to match. He was on massive wages when he signed from Fiorentina, reportedly somewhere around €400k/week. That number, the smaller number that is, in the Premier League isn’t too bad to work with, but given the preference to keep Sesko as the top option, that might be too much for INEOS to consider paying someone who would likely be a back-up striker.
United would also be contending with interest from other clubs looking to make a free agent acquisition at striker, notably Barcelona. Getting competitive for already sizeable wages only makes the move seem a bit more unnecessary.