Juventus will pay a huge transfer fee to sign 22-year-old Dusan Vlahovic from Fiorentina.
The player is expected in Turin for his medical on Saturday before the move will be finalized. Juve agreed to a $73 million transfer fee with Fiorentina, with another $12 million to be added in bonuses if certain performance clauses are met.
Vlahovic will earn almost $8 million per season after-tax until 2026, nine times more than his $900k yearly wage in Firenze. The contract could be extended for a further year.
Juve manager Max Allegri wants everything to be finalized as soon as possible. He plans to use Vlahovic against Verona on Feb. 6 when Serie A football returns after a short break. Juventus is now talking to the player’s agent, Darko Ristic, to find a deal regarding the commission they’ll pay. The Bianconeri have beaten off interest from Arsenal and Newcastle to sign Vlahovic.
The Serbian player’s rumored transfer to Juve infuriated Fiorentina’s fans, who threatened him through messages posted on banners outside the Artemio Franchi stadium. “Your bodyguards won’t save your life. Gypsy, it’s over for you,” read one message.
Fiorentina has lined up Arthur Cabral from Basel as Vlahovic’s replacement. The Brazilian will cost $16.2 million, with bonuses to be added depending on individual and club performances. Cabral will soon undergo his medical in Florence.
Juve needs goals from Vlahovic
The forward scored at a non-stop rate since the start of the campaign, netting 20 times in 23 games across all competitions for Fiorentina. Juventus needs Vlahovic to have a similar impact as they attempt to consolidate their place among the top four clubs in Serie A.
Juventus is now fifth, 11 points behind league leader Inter. Second-place Napoli is seven points away, and Juve will be looking to climb as much as possible during the remaining 15 matches.
His 17 Serie A goals this season have placed Vlahovic at the top of the scorers’ list, along with Lazio’s Immobile. Bookies give Immobile a slight advantage when it comes to finishing first among the marksmen at +120. Vlahovic is just behind at +125. Inter’s Lautaro Martinez, now on 11 goals, is at +1400.
Juventus is at -160 to finish inside the Serie A top four at the end of the campaign, while a bet on Juve remaining outside the best four Italian teams in 2021-22 returns +110. A historic comeback that would see them win the title is at +3500.