Dusan Vlahovic’s relationship with Juventus and its fans has seemingly reached the point of no return, so AC Milan could have an opportunity.
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As MilanNews write, the barrage of boos directed at Vlahovic at Juventus Stadium on Wednesday afternoon during the friendly between the first team and the Next Gen caused a stir. The Serbian, who missed an easy goal one-on-one, was jeered as if he were an opponent.
He’s certainly unpopular with the fans, and a source of concern for the management: Dusan costs Juventus €42m, including his contract amortisation and gross salary. A huge sum that could only be justified by brilliant performances and impressive numbers, which have not come.
What next for Vlahovic?
What leaks is that if a suitable offer does not arrive, Vlahovic will happily remain in Turin, with his €12m net salary and a starting spot lost to Jonathan David. The pursuit of PSG’s Kolo Muani could make playing time even harder to come by, and in a World Cup year.
To date, the team most interested – as well as his most likely next destination – were Milan. At Milanello, he would have reunited with Max Allegri, even working under his idol Zlatan Ibrahimovic. However, Igli Tare seems to be making a very concrete move for Rasmus Hojlund.
Hojlund is another disgruntled player, but for different reasons. Under normal circumstances, both would be extremely expensive, as their recent transfers demonstrate. Yet now, they could become cut-price opportunities.
Juventus probably asked themselves: does it make sense to go and solve a huge environmental, sporting and economic problem for a potential direct rival? Milan might wonder: Vlahovic has shown he can’t handle the pressure of the Bianconeri, so would he do better at San Siro.
The player must be reflecting: would he be willing to lower his salary to avoid upsetting the delicate balance in the dressing room? When signing a striker, a key position, at the end of August, it’s natural to find yourself faced with all these doubts. Milan cannot make a mistake.