- 3 hours ago
EXCLUSIVE: Arsenal’s first Vlahovic bid rejected by Juventus
Steve Kay
- Updated: 14 Jan 2025 05:01 CST
- 4 min read
Arsenal have made a first bid for Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic but have had their loan offer for the Serbia international hitman rejected by the Serie A giants.
Gunners manager Mikel Arteta has long been an admirer of Vlahovic and was even beaten to his signature by Juve when the 24-year-old departed Fiorentina in January 2021 for €83.5 million.
With Arsenal crying out for more firepower following their FA Cup exit at the hands of Manchester United, the Carabao Cup reverse against Newcastle and the disappointing Premier League draw with Brighton, Arteta is revisiting this previous target to give the Gunners an edge as the second half of the campaign looms.
Gabriel Jesus’ latest injury will only underscore how much the Gunners need another forward, particularly with Bukayo Sako still out.
Current ETV
Dušan Vlahović
F (C)
Juventus
Dušan Vlahović
F (C)
Juventus
ETV Range
€42.4M - €70.7M
Arsenal made an offer for Vlahovic on loan at the end of last week, yet it was rejected by Juventus, who want to sell the player outright or at least include an obligation to buy in any temporary deal that is struck.
As such, Juve, who look likely to land PSG striker Randal Kolo Muani, are willing to wait until later in the window to see if more interest arises from other clubs.
Arsenal, meanwhile, have not totally dismissed the prospect of moving for Vlahovic later in January. FootballTransfers previously revealed that Juve offered the striker to the Emirates side for around €55m, with Arteta known to be a big fan of the player.
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Sesko Arsenal’s priority target
Arsenal are not willing to go all-in for Vlahovic at this point because Arteta wants to wait until the summer to move for RB Leipzig hitman Benjamin Sesko, who is not available until the end of the season.
The Gunners were one of a number of teams chasing the Slovenia star last summer and they are getting into a position whereby they can trigger his release clause in 2025.
Compared
Dušan Vlahović
F (C)
Juventus
Dušan Vlahović
F (C)
Juventus
VS
Benjamin Sesko
F (C)
RB Leipzig
Benjamin Sesko
F (C)
RB Leipzig
2024/2025
Season Statistics
2024/2025
| 24 | Appearances | 29 |
| 12 | Goals | 16 |
| 3 | Assists | 3 |
| 86 | Shots Total | 69 |
| 20 | Key Passes | 12 |
But Vlahovic could change that plan if he arrives in North London on a six-month loan deal and performs well. It could tempt Arsenal to pick him ahead of their current leading target.
And bringing the Serb in on loan remains the perfect scenario for the second half of the campaign – but such a deal may not be on their terms.
Ideally, they want to sign Vlahovic without an obligation because it would not affect them financially and if the deal doesn’t work out, he could be sent back to Juventus in the summer, at which point they could revisit Sesko.
Now the challenge is coming to an agreement over a structure of a loan deal that suits both clubs.
