Arsenal look like missing out on Dusan Vlahovic to Italian giants Juventus, with the Old Lady having struck the deal for the Serbian.
The Gunners have been chasing the Fiorentina forward all month, with Mikel Arteta keen to bring one of the most exciting young talents in Europe to his squad before a huge bidding war breaks out in the summer. But now, it looks like Vlahovic is Turin-bound.
Giacomo Iacobellis of TUTTOmercatoWEB is reporting that the Old Lady have agreed a £67-million deal for the 21-year-old. This would completely end Arsenal’s pursuit and give the Gunners just under a week to secure a plan B to the Serbian.
Vlahovic seems to have been a long shot in the first place, with the youngster apparently unconvinced by offers from Arsenal and Tottenham. The Fiorentina star is apparently enamoured by a move to Juventus, however, and was holding out for the perfect transfer – and more than happy to wait until the summer to move.
With just 18 months left on his deal in Florence, though, Arsenal felt they could snare him, only to deal with tough agents.
Now, it looks like the Gunners could well turn to Alexander Isak of Real Sociedad.
The Swede is a similar player in terms of build athleticism but has endured poor form this season. Arsenal fans may well be encouraged by the striker’s good link-up with Martin Odegaard, while the Arsenal playmaker was on loan in the Basque country, while Isak has impressive stats for his age.
Arsenal are also linked with Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins, Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Real Madrid’s Luka Jovic – an international teammate of Vlahovic’s.