Arsenal
Arsenal indicate interest in signing Juventus centre-forward Dusan Vlahovic
Arsenal have indicated interest in signing Juventus in-form centre-forward Dusan Vlahovic amid a contract stand-off with the Italian club, according to Tuttojuve.
The 24-year-old has started the season on fire with eight goals across all competitions so far. He’s currently Serie A’s third top scorer with six goals and he’s not looking to take a foot off the pedestal soon.
Juventus are reportedly in talks to extend the Serbia international’s contract but neither party has been able to reach a consensus.
According to Tuttojuve, Vlahovic is being followed by several top European clubs with Arsenal among those to have expressed their interest. In the case of his failure to extend his contract, the Italian club may be forced to cash-in next summer.
The Italian outlet adds that the Gunners are keen to take Vlahovic to the Emirates Stadium — viewing his uniqueness and intensity as viable tools to reinforce Mikel Arteta’s attack.
However, any potential transfer depends on the Bianconerri’s contract extension proposal which Vlahovic has yet to agree to, according to the report.
Arsenal need a prolific centre-forward
Vlahovic’s contract at Allianz Stadium will run until 2026 and Tuttojuve reports that the 36-time Italian champions will demand a fee of at least £66m from Arsenal for any potential transfer to go through.
While Arsenal have started the season well, winning five of their opening eight fixtures, their League position is already raising concerns among fans. The Gunners are currently in third place in the Premier League table with 18 points, five points below leaders Manchester City.
After two years of mounting a title challenge, one aspect the Gunners have lacked is the absence of a clinical centre-forward to kill off games.
The North London giants have been utilizing Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus in the centre-forward position but neither of the pair are prolific enough to lead the Gunners to a potential title triumph.
It appears Mikel Arteta is now looking to address the situation with Vlahovic attracting interest from the club to bolster their attack.
Despite Juventus’ £66m asking price, it’s not out of reach for Arsenal and they’ll know prolific strikers won’t come cheap in today’s inflated transfer market.