Dusan Vlahovic’s agent explains why the striker snubbed Arsenal for Juventus and how Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic could be an ‘ideal’ support for his fellow Serbian in Turin.
The centre-forward shot to fame at Fiorentina and refused to sign a new contract, then turned down more lucrative offers from Arsenal and other Premier League sides, as he had his heart set on Juve in January 2022.
“It is true that there were many other clubs interested, but Juventus are Juventus, one of the biggest clubs in the world. It seemed like the best option from the start and I haven’t changed my mind on that,” agent Darko Ristic told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
The transfer was eventually worth €81.6m plus bonuses for up to €92m and so far this season he has contributed seven goals and two assists in 15 games between Serie A and the Champions League.
Vlahovic has missed the last few Juve games with a recurring groin inflammation and is carrying this into the World Cup in Qatar.
“It is a very unpleasant injury, but fortunately it is not too serious. We hope Dusan can be at 100 per cent for the first game against Brazil.”
There is already plenty of speculation around a possible Juventus offer for Lazio midfielder Milinkovic-Savic, especially as his brother Vanja already plays for Torino.
“Sergej is an excellent player, world class. If he were to leave, any team who took him would find themselves with a major reinforcement. He works well with Dusan and they make an ideal pairing – for Serbia, obviously.”