Arsenal are in the driving seat to the signature of Fiorentina star forward Dusan Vlahovic this month. Manchester City are also strongly linked with Serie A star but according to the latest reports, North London giants are leading the race.
The 21-year-old Serbian forward is leading the Serie A goalscoring charts with 16 goals in 19 fixtures this season. He has also scored 2 cup goals and 4 goals for his National team in 8 World Cup Qualifiers fixtures. Last season, Vlahovic scored 21 league goals and got the attention of many big clubs the last summer but decided to stay at Fiorentina for another season. He has now settled as one of the most sought out strikers in Europe and has a market value of £63 million.
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Fiorentina are looking to take advantage of this rise in his transfer value and are open to selling their star player for £58 million in the January transfer window. There is no shortage of big clubs for Vlahovic but spending big money in winter windows has its own risk. Manchester City are desperate to sign a big-name striker since the departure of club legend Sergio Aguero the last summer.
The Citizens have only Gabriel Jesus as a natural striker but the likes of Raheem Sterling, Phil Foden, and Riyad Mahrez are playing as False Nine strikers this season. This change in role tactic is working great for Pep Guardiola as his side is currently leading the Premier League table with 10 points lead.
But to Champions League is a high priority for them and they need a natural striker to do that. According to the latest report, Manchester City are waiting for Borussia Dortmund star Erling Haaland whose release clause of £67 million gets activated in the summer. If they fail to sign Haaland in the summer then the Citizens are expected to move for Vlahovic as a primary target.
Arsenal Are New Favorites To Sign Dusan Vlahovic:
The Gunners are expecting star forwards Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette to leave in this winter transfer window. So replacing them with quality strikers is a high priority for manager Mikel Arteta. Arsenal are in great form lately and currently occupies 4th spot in the Premier League table and to finish this season in top-four they are looking at Dusan Vlahovic.
According to the report for the Athletic, Arsenal are ahead of both Manchester clubs and Juventus in the race for Vlahovic and will pull out this deal in the coming weeks.
Spending almost £60 million in the winter window is not something Arsenal would do but Arteta has changed the situation recently and fans are hoping for a Champions League return at Emirates Stadium. Arsenal spent £72 million on Nicolas Pepe two seasons ago and it turned out as an awful transfer for the Gunners.