Fiorentina star striker Dusan Vlahovic has been heavily linked with a move to Juventus, which may suggest Paulo Dybala is on his way out of the club.
La Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper reports Vlahovic’s agent and Juventus have shaken hands on a €7m-a-year deal with the player open to joining the Old Lady in January.
However, Fiorentina only want a cash offer in the region of €70m and won’t accept a player-plus-cash swap deal.
At the same time, Juventus CEO Maurizio Arrivabene revealed earlier in January that the Old Lady can’t afford big-money moves in the current transfer window. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Juventus’ transfer budget for the next two transfer windows is exactly €70m.
Talks between the two clubs haven’t even begun, but according to multiple reports, Juventus are pushing to sign Vlahovic now or at the end of the season. But how can the Bianconeri afford both Vlahovic and Dybala?
Juventus to cut pay of players with expiring contracts, including Dybala
One of Arrivabene’s targets is to reduce the wage bill, meaning Dybala and other Juventus players will be offered to take a pay cut to stay in Turin.
Aaron Ramsey, one of Juventus’ highest earners, is set to leave in January, but saving on his €7m-a-year salary won’t be enough to balance the books.
Dybala has a similar wage but had reached an agreement over a new €10m-a-year deal which the Bianconeri can no longer afford.
It must also be mentioned that the Serie A giants have yet to make Federico Chiesa and Moise Kean’s moves permanent.
The Old Lady paid €10m for Chiesa’s loan in 2020 and need to add a further €50, including add-ons to sign him permanently.
Kean is on loan from Everton for €7m. Juventus have an obligation to make the player’s move permanent for €28m during the next campaign plus up to €3m in bonuses.
Juventus and Dybala will resume talks in February, but the striker’s stay appears less and less likely, especially if the Bianconeri complete Vlahovic’s signing.