When Dusan Vlahovic scored his second objective in opposition to Frosinone final weekend, creating house within the field by wrong-footing his marker earlier than producing an beautiful end to stage the sport at 2-2, the official Juventus social media deal with exclaimed: “Dusan!! He just can’t stop scoring can he?!” It was a sentiment the Bianconeri followers ardently agreed with.
This marked a change — in each the tone and temper in Turin — from a lot of 2022 and 2023, when Vlahovic’s fame as certainly one of Europe’s hottest skills was quick eroding. Juventus had acquired the Serbian hitman’s companies through the January switch window in 2022, beating severe competitors from Arsenal and forking out €80 million.
Price-tag strain
But Vlahovic struggled to breed the type of type that noticed him rating 38 targets in 58 video games throughout one and a half seasons earlier than Juventus signed him. There was a rising feeling on the Turin-based membership that the output was not residing as much as the worth tag. By the 2023 summer time window, the Italian powerhouse was courting rich golf equipment, hoping to recoup its funding.
Juventus even reportedly supplied him to cash-splashing Chelsea within the hope of securing Romelu Lukaku. But with no membership keen to half with the form of cash Juventus needed, Vlahovic stayed put. And now many Juventus followers are thanking their fortunate stars.
The brace in opposition to Frosinone took Vlahovic’s Serie A tally this season to fifteen, second solely to Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martinez. Even extra impressively, they made Vlahovic the main scorer in Europe’s prime 5 leagues in 2024, his 9 targets in seven Serie A video games having no equal.
In addition to deciding matches — he additionally assisted Daniele Rugani’s stoppage-time winner in opposition to Frosinone — Vlahovic is trying like a pacesetter at The Old Lady. He has scored 37% of Juventus’ targets this season; nobody amongst Serie A’s prime 10 scorers has a better proportion.
Vlahovic can be setting the tone for the supporters of a membership struggling to maintain tempo in a title race. Juventus is second within the Serie A standings however trails Inter by a big margin. The Serbia worldwide celebrated his first objective in opposition to Frosinone by inserting his hand below his chin, as if to say the Bianconeri should maintain their heads excessive and soldier on.
What has modified for Vlahovic? “I honestly don’t know what happened. I think all the hard work I did finally paid off,” he mentioned. “I’m physically well, it’s simple. I work as usual, I take care of my body. I sleep well, I eat well and I train well, the difference with the past season is that I’m fine and I don’t have problems. Nonetheless, I am not happy … the team results matter more than my goals. We have not been up to our usual standards.”
Former Italy coach Cesare Prandelli believes Vlahovic’s need to show himself and the belief he has begun to really feel in Turin have contributed to the turnaround. “He has more self-esteem and is convinced about his role inside Juventus,” Prandelli advised Tuttosport. “Against Frosinone, he literally dragged Juventus. He can become a leader and the reference point for personality, technique and goals. He has a fire inside and really cares about the consideration he feels from his teammates and the environment. If he feels trust, he gives his best.”
Best on the earth?
And Vlahovic’s finest is really elite. Former Juventus striker Darko Kovacevic thinks his compatriot “can become one of the best in the world”. “Dusan is — and has always been — a great striker, he just needed to find his best form,” Kovacevic advised Gazzetta dello Sport. “His talent has never been in question. We are talking about a young but complete centre forward. He has been going through a spectacular state of form since January and I hope that this is only the start. I remain convinced that Dusan can become one of the best in the world… just like [Erling] Haaland.”
A jackhammer for a left foot: Vlahovic is an distinctive ball-striker, which makes him a objective risk at free-kicks in addition to from distance. | Photo credit score: Getty Images
Vlahovic is an distinctive ball-striker — with a jackhammer of a left foot that may get the ball to curve and dip, he’s a objective risk at free-kicks. His left foot additionally makes him harmful from vary in addition to from contained in the field, the place he typically finds house to obtain progressive passes.
Unlike many different left-footers, the 24-year-old isn’t one-footed. He is a more-than-competent finisher off his proper when defenders shepherd him onto his ‘weaker’ foot — he’s able to each hanging throughout his physique and opening up his hips and side-footing the ball.
The 3-1 win over Lazio earlier this season showcased the number of ending Vlahovic possesses. He opened the scoring by sweeping dwelling a cross with a technically supreme first-time end. He later restored the two-goal cushion when he chested down an extended ball, opened up house in entrance of two defenders with a contact and fired dwelling from the sting of the field.
At 6’3”, Vlahovic has sufficient of an aerial presence. He can outjump most defenders and rating off towering headers. He can be courageous sufficient to try diving headers, his poacher’s intuition typically getting him to balls different strikers could have given up chasing.
At Juventus, Vlahovic doesn’t all the time get to point out off his all-round sport. He doesn’t take part within the build-up as typically as Lautaro does at Inter, as an illustration, however the Serb has the talent and contact to roll his defenders below contact. This makes him a great bouncing board for passes to launch runners from deep, a side of his sport that makes him a great choice for each one-striker setups and the two-striker system he virtually all the time performs in at Juventus.
Power and contact: The Serb has the power and talent to roll his markers below contact. This makes him a great bouncing board for passes to launch runners from deep. | Photo credit score: Getty Images
What the longer term holds
But for all of Vlahovic’s simple qualities, he will probably be judged on the numbers he places up and their affect on Juventus’ pursuit of titles. The query each participant and membership will need the reply to is whether or not this run of goal-scoring type is constantly replicable or a one-off — this may even have a bearing on their future collectively.
With Vlahovic’s contract set to run till June 2026, this summer time might show pivotal. A 25-goal season will entice curiosity from prime golf equipment, with a number of big-name strikers set to shift. Juventus might want to confirm whether or not cashing in when Vlahovic’s worth has risen once more is the proper transfer; the chance of dropping his doubtlessly elite peak years is pretty excessive as properly.
For now, although, the main target is on closing the hole to Inter and conserving the others behind. If Juventus and Vlahovic can handle that, it’s unlikely anyone in Turin will ever query the €80 million price ticket once more.