Manchester City are reportedly eyeing a swoop for Fiorentina striker Dusan Vlahovic in the January transfer window but face competition from Juventus.
According to a report from Italian publication Gazzetta dello Sport, Manchester City are considering launching an attempt to secure the signing of Serbian centre-forward Dusan Vlahovic from Fiorentina in the January transfer window.
Vlahovic came through the youth ranks at Partizan Belgrade before making the jump to Fiorentina in 2018. Having been introduced to first-team football in Italy gradually, the 21-year-old enjoyed his breakthrough last season when he plundered 21 goals in 37 Serie A outings for a struggling team.
Vlahovic has continued in a similar vein of form this season, already bagging seven goals and an assist from 11 matches across all competitions. A full international with Serbia, the striker has netted six times in 12 games for his nation thus far. His rapid rise to stardom over the past year led to many admirers in the summer, but the 21-year-old decided to stay put in Florence.
However, things have changed drastically in recent weeks as Vlahovic has failed to agree a new contract with the Viola. The 21-year-old is demanding a salary of €6 million per year, which Fiorentina are reluctant to meet, leading to a standoff in negotiations. And the club have admitted that the striker could be allowed to leave if a suitable offer arrives in the January transfer window.
Alerted by the development, Manchester City are now mulling over the possibility of making a move to sign Vlahovic at the turn of the year. It is no secret that the Premier League champions have been in the market for a new striker following the summer departure of the club’s all-time leading goalscorer, Sergio Aguero.
Manchester City spent the entire summer chasing the signing of Harry Kane but failed to land their man. While interest in the England captain remains, they are also looking at alternatives to bolster their attacking unit, with Vlahovic emerging as one of the options for Pep Guardiola & co.
Considering that the Cityzens do not have any other natural No. 9 in the squad beyond Gabriel Jesus, it becomes imperative that a new out-and-out striker is signed at the earliest. And a move for Vlahovic would make sense considering his age, profile and his recent track record. Signing him would set the champions of England back by a hefty €60 million, however.
In addition, Manchester City will have to contend with competition from Serie A giants Juventus for his services. At the same time, there is plenty of interest in the Serbian international from the Premier League. However, recent reports have indicated that Vlahovic would be tempted at the possibility of joining the Mancunian giants, which would hand them an advantage if the claims are indeed true.
It now remains to be seen whether Guardiola’s side act on their reported interest in Vlahovic when the transfer window opens for business in a couple of months or decide to look at alternatives instead.
