Italian giants Juventus are reportedly open to allowing striker Dusan Vlahovic to move to Arsenal or Chelsea in 2024 as part of a swap deal. The Serbian forward had attracted interest from Arsenal in January 2022 but ultimately joined Juventus. However, he hasn’t replicated the form that earned him an €81.6 million transfer to Juventus. Since joining the club, Vlahovic has scored 27 goals and provided seven assists in 69 games for the team.
In the 2023-24 Serie A season, he scored four goals in his first four games but struggled in subsequent matches, and he missed the last two league fixtures due to a back injury. Despite his struggles, Vlahovic has been strongly linked with a move to the Premier League. His contract with Juventus is set to run until 2026, and there are reports of a potential contract renewal in Turin.
However, according to a report from TuttoJuve, Juventus may be willing to let Vlahovic leave in 2024 and are open to a part-exchange deal, potentially involving one or more players from Arsenal or Chelsea. Both of these Premier League clubs have shown interest in the Serbian striker, with Real Madrid also considering a move for him, as they have yet to secure a permanent successor to Karim Benzema.
Juventus’ sporting director, Cristiano Giuntioli, confirmed that Chelsea made a bid for Vlahovic over the summer, but it did not meet Juventus’ asking price, believed to be around €80 million. There were even discussions of a player-plus-cash deal involving Romelu Lukaku, but it didn’t come to fruition, and Lukaku joined Roma on loan. Chelsea made other acquisitions, including Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson, though Nkunku has been sidelined with a severe knee injury, and Jackson has been criticized for missing scoring opportunities.
Arsenal, on the other hand, acquired Kai Havertz from Chelsea, who was mainly played as a forward for Chelsea but has been transformed into a midfielder for Arsenal. The Gunners have Eddie Nketiah and Gabriel Jesus as options in the forward positions. However, Jesus has been dealing with injuries and has been deployed on the wing to cover for the absence of Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli. Nketiah has struggled to score more than five goals in a single Premier League season.
While Vlahovic is not considered a top priority for Arsenal, as they are focusing their efforts on a deal for Brentford’s Ivan Toney, the potential swap deal involving Vlahovic could provide an exciting addition to their attacking options. Toney is returning from a lengthy betting suspension in January, and the Gunners are keen on bolstering their attacking lineup.
