Three weeks ago, reports from Daily Express revealed that Manchester United are keen on signing highly-rated Fiorentina striker Dusan Vlahovic in the January transfer window as Ralf Rangnick looks set to add to his attacking options. The club’s chief executive Joe Barone himself confirmed that the 21-year-old sensation had shown no intentions of penning down a contract renewal despite just 18 months left on his current deal.
“We’ve offered Vlahovic the highest contract ever in the history of Fiorentina, several times.” – Barone told Repubblica.
“Both Dusan and his agent made us realise that they do not want to accept. Our bid is still on the table.”
However, in a recent interview with Football Italia, Vlahovic refused to rule out the prospect of penning down a brand-new contract with the Italian outfit.
“I’ve said it several times so far. There is a good football story being made here in Florence. We have a good team, great players, great support from the fans. Everything deserves respect.
“Only God knows what will happen in the next period. My desire is to take Fiorentina to Europe, because we haven’t been in Europe for a long time. We’ll see.”
When asked if he’d sign a contract extension, he said, “Never say never. But at the moment I am focused on new victories.”
Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City are also believed to be in the race for the 25-year-old’s signature.
Vlahovic’s Seasons At The Stadio Artemio Franchi
Having come through the ranks at Serbian club SK Partizan, Vlahovic joined ACF Fiorentina in the summer of 2018 for a fee in the region of €2 million. Over the last four years, the Belgrade-born star has made 106 appearances for the club, bagging 47 goals and seven assists across all competitions.
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Going by his recent stats, the Serbian international has managed to put up some impressive numbers on the board this season – averaging 3.6 shots, one key pass, one dribble, 17.7 passes and 0.9 long balls per 90 minutes in the Italian top-flight (across 19 starts). Furthermore, with 18 goals and two assists in 21 appearances across all competitions, he has been one of the most prolific goal-scorers across Europe’s top five leagues this term.
As evident from the numbers mentioned above, he’s on his way to becoming one of the premium strikers of this generation if he manages to keep himself focused and fit. Standing at 1.9m, Vlahovic has an excellent eye for goal and with his age being 25; it would be fair to say that his best years lie ahead of him.
Why Rangnick Must Make The Move
Anthony Martial’s agent Philippe Lamboley has made it clear that he wants to leave the club in January (be it permanent or on loan), whereas Edinson Cavani’s contract runs out in the summer. The Uruguayan forward isn’t expected to stay beyond that.
Manchester United are in desperate need of a long-term striker, and Dusan Vlahovic fits the bill perfectly. Apart from Erling Haaland, who’d cost a fortune and come in with Mino Raiola, there’s hardly a better striker than the Serbian international in the market presently.
Hence, Rangnick should make the best possible efforts to bring him to Old Trafford.
(Stats from WhoScored)
