Report: Vlahovic heading to Juventus after Fiorentina agree to €75M sale

Juventus reached an agreement with Fiorentina on Tuesday to sign 21-year-old talent Dusan Vlahovic for €75 million, according to Sky Sport Italia’s Gianluca Di Marzio.

Arsenal were considered to be in a strong position to scoop up Serie A’s joint-top scorer before the Italian giants advanced with its mega offer.

Vlahovic – who tied Cristiano Ronaldo’s calendar-year record in Serie A with 33 goals in 2021 – is now expected to rejuvenate Juventus’ struggling offense. After winning nine consecutive league titles between the 2011-12 and 2019-20 seasons, the Bianconeri finished fourth last campaign and are currently in fifth place and 11th in scoring.

Fiorentina set a high price for the Serbian sharpshooter after learning in October that he wouldn’t renew his contract. His deal with La Viola was set to expire in June 2023.

His relationship with Fiorentina’s ultras soured, and as news spread Monday that he could join Juventus, fans left racist and threatening banners outside of the club’s stadium.

“Your bodyguards won’t save you, gypsy,” read one banner. “It’s over for you.”

Police decided the threats were serious enough to set up surveillance around the player’s home, according to La Repubblica’s Luca Serrano.

Vlahovic is set to become the latest player to leave Fiorentina for Juventus under acrimonious circumstances. In 1990, Roberto Baggio’s move to Turin sparked protests in the streets, and in 2020, fans targeted Federico Chiesa with insults and threatening banners. Chiesa eventually joined Juventus in a deal worth up to €60 million.

Despite making headlines, Vlahovic’s fee would only be the fifth-highest Juventus will have paid in the last six seasons. Cristiano Ronaldo, Gonzalo Higuain, Matthijs De Ligt, and Arthur all arrived on bigger deals.