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Dusan Vlahovic is no longer in Juventus' plans. |
If there is one word to describe Juventus in the 2024/25 season, it is chaos. From the coaching bench to the dressing room, from the pitch to the upper echelons, everything in Turin is going as if a plan has never been completed.
Thiago Motta’s project - once expected to be a breath of fresh air - quickly failed, leaving Igor Tudor forced to play the role of “firefighter”, leading Juventus to a top 4 finish in Serie A. But that was only a temporary solution. At the continental level, where identity and character are truly tested, Juventus still showed a fragile and unconfident image.
The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup™ was once seen as a chance for Juventus to regain their position, but they only made a slight impression against weaker opponents. When they faced a real team - Manchester City - they were crushed 2-5. That defeat not only exposed the gap in level, but also made Italians lose all faith in the ability of the "Old Lady" to continue when they had to face Real Madrid in the round of 16. That defeat was a clear warning: Juventus is not good enough to enter the banquet table of the big guys.
And while the technical issues were still unresolved, another crisis arose - this time in the name of Dusan Vlahovic.
The Serbian striker is becoming an "obstacle" to the reconstruction that Juventus wants to carry out. No longer part of the long-term plan, Vlahovic has been put on the transfer market with the aim of clearing the way for new players like Jonathan David. But the problem is that Vlahovic does not want to leave.
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Vlahovic was brought in from Fiorentina for a fee of up to 70 million euros, expected to become the striker leading the new generation of Juventus. |
Vlahovic’s contract runs until 2026, and he has an absolute advantage in this tug-of-war. By refusing to leave, refusing to negotiate a salary extension, and speaking in an unfriendly manner, Vlahovic is putting Juventus’s board in a difficult position. In a team that is trying to restructure, a “redundant player who refuses to leave” becomes a burden both financially and strategically.
Vlahovic was signed from Fiorentina for a fee of up to 70 million euros, expected to become the center forward leading the new generation of Juventus. But after more than two years, what he has left is inconsistency. This season, despite scoring 13 goals and providing 4 assists in 35 games, Vlahovic has still not shown the influence of a true "number 9". Worse, his salary of 7.5 million euros per season - expected to increase to 12 million in 2025 - makes him the most untouchable name in the dressing room.
Juventus are now like a ship trying to change captains, re-arrange crews and change course in the midst of a storm. But with old players refusing to leave, new signings failing to be completed, and future strategy caught between player will and public pressure, the story becomes more complicated than ever.
No one can deny Vlahovic’s talent. But in a team like Juventus, which is trying to find its identity again, sometimes it is not about keeping the best players – it is about getting rid of the ones that are no longer suitable. Great character will have to be shown, not only on the pitch, but also in the boardroom.
Juventus were once a symbol of consistency and decisiveness. Now they need that more than ever - if this strange season is not to become the premise for a more pronounced downward cycle.
Source: https://znews.vn/juventus-roi-ren-vi-vlahovic-post1564723.html
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