Manchester City and Atletico Madrid are considering January bids for Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic, according to the Corriere Dello Sport (via Calciomercato.it).
The Italian newspaper claims that the Serbian international could be sold as Juve look to free up the wage bill.
Vlahovic is currently earning €12m a year (£192,000 a week) and, with the player’s contract set to expire in 2026, a decision will need to be made on his future soon.
His club are hoping that he will be prepared to lower his salary in order to stay in Turin, but they are reluctant to hold lengthy negotiations.
They don’t want to risk losing Vlahovic on a free transfer and, after selling Federico Chiesa to Liverpool for £10m, they are mindful of the player allowing his contract to reach its final year as well.
Vlahovic has been linked with a move to the Premier League before
Prior to signing for Juventus from Fiorentina almost three years ago, it was reported that Arsenal also made an approach. However, the forward opted to remain in Italy.
Subsequently, there have also been reports that Vlahovic was offered to Chelsea in a part-exchange deal for Romelu Lukaku but the Blues weren’t willing to pay the requested transfer fee.
City do need reinforcements up front
In some ways, the links to Vlahovic do make a lot of sense. While he is not as good a finisher as Erling Haaland, the 24-year-old has the same profile. He is tall, strong and a powerful runner.
However, it would be a surprise if the Cityzens decided to buy someone of his calibre simply to put him on the bench. As Julian Alvarez found out, you won’t get many opportunities to lead the line when Haaland is fit and available.
Find out who is in Manchester City’s first-team squad for the 2024/2025 season here
