Juventus have agreed a €75 million (£63m/$85m) deal with Fiorentina for striker Dusan Vlahovic and finalised personal terms with his entourage, GOAL can confirm.
The 21-year-old is perhaps the biggest attacking name available on the market this month, with Arsenal also interested in the highly-rated Serbia international.
Vlahovic has scored 17 Serie A goals this season, after registering 21 efforts in the Italian top flight during the 2020-21 campaign, and has been attracting admiring glances from across Europe.
What's the details?
Juventus have been keen to land Vlahovic in January, rather than waiting until the summer, and have agreed a €75m fee with their Serie A rivals.
GOAL can confirm that the Bianconeri have now reached a final agreement on personal terms with the forward's representatives and he will now be pencilled in for a medical before being officially unveiled at the Allianz Stadium.
Indeed, the Serbian forward opted against committing to a contract extension in Florence, forcing his current club to open themselves up to offers.
(C)Getty imagesViola sporting director Daniele Prade had stated that €70m (£59m/$79m) would be the fee required to land Vlahovic, although Juve have gone €5m higher to get their man, with the striker committing to a €7m per year contract.
Prior to the deal being agreed, Prade told Sky Sport Italia: “He has a significant valuation, above 70 million euros, with no players in exchange or payments spread over years.
“We received some very substantial offers, but we never got a response from his representatives.
“Our doors are open. I say this because we want to understand what he wants and what his agents want. We are also open to sitting down again to discuss a contract renewal.
“We are a club with an annual turnover of 75 million euros per year, so we cannot lose Dusan for nothing.”
Why did Arsenal miss out on Vlahovic?
Arsenal appeared to be leading the chase for Vlahovic at one stage, with the Premier League heavyweights eager to get more firepower into their ranks at Emirates Stadium.
GOAL reported last week that the Gunners are prepared to part with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang before the next deadline passes, having frozen him out of their plans, with a suitable replacement drafted in to counter his departure.
However, Vlahovic is ultimately set to remain in Italy, where he is settled having been playing in Serie A since 2018, meaning that alternative options will need to be considered by Mikel Arteta and the Gunners.
The move to the Bianconeri comes with Juve looking to bolster their attack after Italy international Federico Chiesa suffered a season-ending knee injury and Paulo Dybala continues to delay the signing of fresh terms in Turin. Alvaro Morata, meanwhile, is being strongly linked with a move to Barcelona.
.jpg?auto=webp&format=pjpg&width=640&quality=60)