January 28th 2025.
There has been a lot of buzz surrounding Dusan Vlahovic's potential departure from Juventus before the transfer deadline. The 24-year-old, who has been on the radar of Chelsea and Arsenal, recently turned down a lucrative offer to leave the Italian giants. However, there are still talks of him making a move before the January window closes.
Vlahovic's journey in Turin has been a bit of a rollercoaster ride. Signed for a whopping £66m in 2022, he has managed to score 40 goals in 93 appearances for Juventus. Despite his impressive goal tally, there is a sense that he has not lived up to his full potential at the club, which could be one of the reasons for his potential departure in the coming week.
The Serbian striker has been on the radar of several Premier League clubs since his time at Fiorentina. Both Chelsea and Arsenal are looking to strengthen their attacking options, with Enzo Maresca and Mikel Arteta considering Vlahovic as a potential target. Chelsea, in particular, have had a lackluster transfer window and are looking to add firepower to their front line, especially with Nicolas Jackson struggling to find the back of the net in recent games.
Meanwhile, there have been doubts raised by pundits and former Chelsea players about Jackson's ability to lead the line for the Blues and help them compete for major trophies under Maresca. On the other hand, Arsenal's top scorer this season is Kai Havertz with just eight goals, highlighting their desperate need for a new striker, especially with Gabriel Jesus out for the rest of the season due to injury.
In a surprising turn of events, Vlahovic has rejected a tempting offer to join Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr, where his former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo currently plays. The club was ready to offer him a huge contract, but the Serbian international has made it clear that he wants to continue playing in Europe.
Ex-Arsenal defender Philippe Senderos believes that Vlahovic could be the missing piece in Arsenal's title-winning puzzle and has urged the Gunners to revive their interest in the striker. He also mentioned that Vlahovic has proven himself in the Italian league and could make a big impact in the Premier League. Another former Arsenal player, Nigel Winterburn, has also named Vlahovic as one of the three strikers that his former club should target in the final week of the transfer window.
It is clear that Arsenal and Chelsea are both in dire need of a prolific striker who can guarantee 20-25 goals a season. However, finding such a player is not an easy task, and it remains to be seen if either club will be able to secure Vlahovic's signature before the transfer deadline. But one thing is for sure, addressing this issue in the squad could be the key to driving either team towards a Premier League title.
In other news, Vlahovic made a late substitute appearance in Juventus' recent 2-1 defeat to Napoli, as new loan signing Randal Kolo Muani made his debut and scored for the team. But Vlahovic is not the only player on Chelsea's radar, as there have been talks of a surprising move for Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho. With Chelsea defender Renato Veiga leaving the club on loan and other potential departures, it will be interesting to see how their squad shapes up before the February 3 deadline.
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