Transfer Centre

Dusan Vlahovic 'ready to leave Juventus amid Real Madrid, Arsenal links'

By Oliver Thomas, Senior Reporter | 13 April 2023

Dusan Vlahovic is reportedly ready to leave Juventus this summer amid interest from a number of clubs including Real Madrid and Arsenal.

The 22-year-old has failed to reach the heights expected since leaving Fiorentina to join the Turin-based outfit for around £70m in January 2022, with injuries hindering his progress in the 2022-23 campaign.

Vlahovic scored nine goals in 21 appearances during the second half of last season, and has since contributed with 11 strikes and four assists in 31 games across all tournaments this term, including eight goals in 20 Serie A fixtures.

The Serbia international is under contract at Juve until June 2026, but speculation over the striker's long-term future is rife ahead of the summer transfer window.

Both Real Madrid and Arsenal have been linked with Vlahovic for some time, while Manchester United, Chelsea, Newcastle United and Bayern Munich have also been credited with an interest.

Dusan Vlahovic in action for Juventus on October 21, 2022 © Reuters

A recent report claims that Juve are open to parting ways with Vlahovic this summer amid their financial concerns and are already 'preparing for life without' the striker.

According to Calciomercatoweb, Vlahovic is 'ready for a change of scene' following a difficult campaign at Juve, with Real Madrid, Arsenal and Bayern all preparing a summer swoop for the Serbian.

The report adds that Los Blancos may view Vlahovic as the heir to 2022 Ballon d'Or winner Karim Benzema, who is out of contract at the Santiago Bernabeu this summer and will turn 36 in December.

Although Real Madrid could be in a strong position to sign Vlahovic should they part ways with Benzema, it is understood that the Juventus striker's most likely destination is the Premier League.

Dusan Vlahovic in action for Juventus on October 2, 2022 © Reuters

Arsenal were desperate to lure Vlahovic to the Emirates Stadium in January last year, before he opted to stay in Italy and sign for Juve.

Mikel Arteta is believed to be open to the prospect of reinforcing his attack this summer to provide more competition for Gabriel Jesus, Eddie Nketiah and Folarin Balogun, the latter of whom is currently impressing on loan at Reims.

The future of Vlahovic could depend on whether Juventus qualify for next season's Champions League, with Massimiliano Allegri's side – who were deducted 15 points earlier this season for financial breaches – currently sitting seventh in Serie A and eight points behind the top four with eight games remaining.

Vlahovic is not the only highly sought-after striker who plies his trade in the Italian top flight, as Napoli's Victor Osimhen – Serie A's top scorer this season with 21 goals – is said to be on the radar of a number of top European clubs ahead of the 2023-24 campaign.