Dusan Vlahovic is one of the most sought-after forwards in world football, with the Serbian striker sitting behind only Erling Haaland in terms of demand. Having recently surpassed Cristiano Ronaldo's record for most Serie A goals scored in a calendar year, it's no surprise as to why the Serbian ace is gathering attention from the continent's biggest clubs.
One team keen on his services are Arsenal. While the likes of Man City, Juventus, and Chelsea have been linked with the 21-year-old, the north London outfit are nonetheless adamant on beating the competition to his signature.
According to the rumors, the player is not sold on a move to the Emirates Stadium, with Arsenal's lack of UEFA Champions League football over the past few years being a contributor. However, the main reason for his hesitancy regarding the Gunners is due to his desire to join Juventus, mirroring Mikel Arteta's unsuccessful pursuit of Manuel Locatelli last summer.
This was revealed in a recent report by David Ornstein of the Athletic, who wrote: "There is a feeling at Fiorentina that Arsenal are not Vlahovic's preferred destination — likewise teams such as Tottenham and Newcastle, who have also been linked — and a wider sense in the industry that he favours a switch to Juventus."
However, a ray of hope has been presented to Arsenal as well-respected Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio claims the Old Lady are not prioritizing a move for Vlahovic. In fact, the Italian giants are on the hunt for a new striker, but the Fiorentina sensation is not target no.1 for Allegri's side. Instead, Juventus are keen on Sassuolo's Gianluca Scamacca, whom they plan to begin negotiations for "as soon as possible".
What about the other continental giants such as Man City, Real Madrid, and Barcelona? Those teams appear to have their eyes set on Haaland and no other, which could afford Arsenal a run at Vlahovic this winter alongside Tottenham and Man Utd.
In fact, Ornstein of the Athletic predicts that the Gunners will be the favorites to land the Serie A top scorer if he were to move now, with the north London giants being the club most aggressively pushing for a January move.
Whether Vlahovic or even Fiorentina, who are in the race for the European spots, would entertain a mid-season transfer remains unclear. However, Arsenal's eagerness to get the deal done as early as possible is understandable.
And this is not simply due to beating out the competition to the striker's signature. With Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang having been axed from the team, stripped of the captaincy, and put up or sale; Arteta has only Alexandre Lacazette as a senior option up front. The Frenchman is set to leave this summer once his contract runs out, as will Eddie Nketiah, his young deputy, leaving the manager short on options.
