Juventus have won the race for sought-after Serbian striker Dušan Vlahović after an agreement was reached with the player, agents and Fiorentina, CBS Sports insider Fabrizio Romano reports. The 21-year-old will undergo medical exams with his new club in Turin before putting pen to paper on a long-term contract that will keep him in a Bianconeri shirt until 2026, earning €7 million net salary per season, with the Viola reported to receive approximately €75 million — just under $80 million — in the deal.
Vlahović is tied with Ciro Immobile of Lazio with 17 goals in the race for the Capocannoniere award for the top goal scorer in Serie A. The striker and Fiorentina had failed to reach an agreement to extend his current contract, which was set to expire in June 2023. It made all the sense in the world for Fiorentina to cash in during the January transfer window before running the risk of losing him as a free agent down the road, and they have already found a replacement with an agreement to sign Brazilian striker Arthur Cabral from Basel for around €16 million.
A move to Juventus could cause a domino effect, with Álvaro Morata as a prime candidate to be squeezed out of the Bianconeri lineup before Monday’s transfer deadline. Barcelona had expressed interest at the beginning of the month and the player would still be open for the move, but it doesn’t look likely as things stand. The Vlahović signing could also dictate the market for a few others suitors in the next days. The January transfer window is finally heating up in Serie A and the next hours will be key to understand what could potentially happen in the final week.
