Dusan Vlahovic has been told he is “not worthy” of Juventus’ striking berth, with the Serbian not measuring up to Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez.
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- Forward moved to Turin in 2022
- Handed iconic No.9 shirt
- Struggling to emulate predecessors
- Getty
WHAT HAPPENED?
Juve spent big money prising Vlahovic away from Serie A rivals Fiorentina in January 2022. He was intended to help fill the void created by Ronaldo’s departure in the summer of 2021 – when the Portuguese superstar returned to Manchester United after plundering more than 100 goals for the Bianconeri across three seasons.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
Vlahovic has taken on the No.9 jersey in Turin, but has only 41 goals to his name through 101 appearances. He is only 24 years of age, which suggests that he is yet to reach his peak, but questions continue to be asked of whether he is the right long-term option to lead the line at Allianz Stadium.
- Getty Images
WHAT OPPINI SAID
Pundit Francesco Oppini is not convinced, telling of why Vlahovic falls some way short of emulating his iconic predecessors in a central striking berth: “Juventus without a striker of the same calibre since Cristiano Ronaldo, the rest of the chatter is blown away by the wind along with the recent glorious memories of immortal strikers like Tevez first and [Gonzalo] Higuain then. As of today, Vlahovic is not a striker worthy of Juventus and 12 million a year.”
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WHAT NEXT?
Vlahovic’s lucrative contract is due to run until 2026. He has, however, generated transfer talk on a regular basis – with speculation often linking him with a move to the Premier League – and it remains to be seen whether his deal in Italy will be honoured.