- 3 hours ago
The Dusan Vlahovic to Arsenal conspiracy theory
Carlo Garganese
- Updated: 15 Jan 2025 10:39 GMT
- 4 min read
Dusan Vlahovic has missed Juventus' last two games due to injury but there are those who believe there is more to the story.
Vlahovic missed Saturday's 1-1 draw at Torino and Tuesday's 1-1 draw at Atalanta, officially due to injury.
His last game was in the 2-1 defeat to Milan in the Italian Super Cup semi final in Riyadh on January 3 when he was controversially subbed off on 65 minutes after a dismal individual performance.
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The reason given for his absence was that Vlahovic was suffering from muscle fatigue.
However, there have been some suggestions in the media - and a growing belief among Juventus fans - that it may not be true that Vlahovic is really injured.
They believe that Juventus have made the decision to sell Vlahovic this month and don't want to risk an injury to him.
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This theory has been given further strength by the fact that Randal Kolo Muani is set to join Juventus on loan from PSG, with the deal to be completed in the next 24-48 hours.
When asked about Vlahovic's mysteriously long recovery time from a muscle fatigue, Motta said on Tuesday: "I only know that Vlahović is recovering and hope he can do so from the next match. He has a problem and we'll see in the next few days to understand if we can count on him for the next match."
Vlahovic has been heavily linked with a move to Arsenal this month.
It has been widely reported elsewhere that Arsenal could return with a big offer, especially following the ACL tear suffered by Gabriel Jesus that has ruled the Brazilian out for several months.
Juventus open to sell Vlahovic
Juventus are open to offloading Vlahovic this month but will only do so if it is an outright sale, or at the very least a loan with an obligation to buy.
Vlahovic has a contract in Turin that expires in 2026 and renewal talks are not going well.
Vlahovic is the highest-paid player in Serie A on €12 million per season and Juventus are not willing to continue paying him that much given both his underpar performances on the pitch and the club’s new policy of lowering the wage ceiling.
If a new contract can’t be agreed soon - which seems unlikely - Juventus will have no option but to sell Vlahovic in one of the two transfer windows in 2025 to avoid losing him on a free transfer in 2026.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is a long-term fan of the 24-year-old, having failed to sign him in January 2022 when he left Fiorentina for Juventus for €80m.
