The Old Lady broke her piggy bank. On the way to a second consecutive season without the title of Italian champion, Juventus Turin felt the urgent need to expand. So she set her sights on Fiorentina striker Dusan Vlahovic, whose services she secured for, according to the media, some 70 million euros (plus any bonuses) on Friday January 28.
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A reaction was expected from the cador, relegated to eleven points from the current leader of Serie A, Inter Milan, who had already dethroned the Piedmontese last season. The first league title released to competition since 2011 could have been just an accident, but the unexpected departure of Cristiano Ronaldo at the end of the transfer window this summer ratified the end of an era.
Determined to move on, Juve therefore symbolically transmitted the number 7 of the fivefold Ballon d’Or to Dusan Vlahovic. The legacy is heavy but the Turin club did not choose to do it implicitly. A few hours after the official arrival of the Serb, the home page of its website played a video on a large screen showing the rookie in his new colors, the foreground of which shows the number 7 inscribed on his shorts, before even to see his face.
Here And NOW, #DV7!
Buy your Dušan Vlahović 7 shirt NOW! https://t.co/rDNVoznIB1
— JuventusFC (@juventusfcen) January 28, 2022
But why entrust such a weight to this player of just 22 years old who has never played a single match in European competition and whose notoriety has not yet crossed the borders of Italy? Moreover, Massimiliano Allegri already has three options for the goalscoring position: Paulo Dybala (11 goals), Alvaro Morata (8 goals) and Moïse Kean (4 goals).
If all eyes are focused on Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappé, Dusan Vlahovic is no longer a young first. Under the colors of a mid-table team like Fiorentina, the Serb has found a way to score 38 goals in Serie A since last season. Over the same period, only three players have done better than him in the five major European championships: Robert Lewandowski (64), Erling Haaland (43) and Karim Benzema (40).
The native of Belgrade is a pure striker, left-handed, reminiscent of a certain Zlatan Ibrahimovic, one of his idols. Tall (1m90) and strong, Vlahovic is nonetheless a technical and mobile player. His lucidity in the penalty area is perhaps his greatest asset.
Dusan Vlahovic has been considered a very big future since he was young. He also became at 15 in 2017 the youngest player in history to play (and score) under the colors of Partizan Belgrade. His ascent may be rapid, but it follows a logical course, without the slightest pebble slipping into his shoe.
Juventus Turin has a habit of going to Florence for help, an unfortunate tendency which has the gift of annoying Viola supporters, who have not forgotten the departures of Federico Bernardeschi, Federico Chiesa, as well as Roberto Baggio in the 90s. Furious to see their striker leave them in the middle of the season, ultras threatened Vlahovic “Your bodyguards won’t save your life, for you it’s the end“, we could read on a banner.
The Florence prosecutor’s office has just ordered the establishment of police surveillance around the home of Dusan Vlahovic following the banners that appeared last night at the Stadio Artemio Franchi
(Sportface – Agresti) pic.twitter.com/jkbHgmnkCp
— FrSerieA (@FrSerieA) January 25, 2022
There won’t be a reunion with Fiorentina until May 22 anyway. Dusan Vlahovic will first have to make his mark with Juve. He could also be available on Sunday against Hellas Verona.