Aston Villa enter race for Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic

Local TV Sport

Aston Villa have reportedly joined the race to sign Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic, with Unai Emery keen to reinforce his attack following Jhon Duran’s £67.5 million move to Al-Nassr. The Serbian forward, valued at £49.4 million, has rejected multiple contract offers from Juventus, making a summer exit likely.

Transcript

00:00Aston Villa have reportedly entered the race to sign Juventus centre-forward Dusan Vlahovic,

00:07who is also attracting interest from a Premier League rival. Unai Emre, looking to bolster

00:13his attack following the departure of John Duran to Almasur, has set his sights on Vlahovic.

00:20The Serbian forward, valued at around £50 million, has rejected multiple contract offers

00:25from Juventus, making him increasingly likely to leave. His current deal expires in 2026,

00:32so Juventus may look to sell this summer to recoup a portion of the £65 million paid

00:38to Florentina for him in 2022. Vlahovic's agent has reportedly offered him to several

00:45top European clubs, including Bayern Leverkusen, Borussia Dortmund and Newcastle United, but

00:51none have engaged in talks. Villa, however, have expressed an interest and Emre sees Vlahovic

00:57as a viable option to strengthen the squad. Villa face competition from Arsenal, who are

01:03also targeting the striker to address their attacking issues. Arsenal are in desperate

01:08need of a new forward due to the long-term injuries to Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz,

01:14with Leandro Trossard and Raheem Sterling also struggling for form. Vlahovic would need

01:20to compete with Oli Watkins for a starting spot at Villa, as Emre has previously struggled

01:26to accommodate two strikers without disrupting his preferred tactical shape. The manager's

01:33frustration with a previous attempt to play two forwards alongside Duran was evident in

01:38a loss to AS Monaco, and he is unlikely to repeat that experiment. Vlahovic's high-wage

01:45demands reportedly exceeding £200,000 a week could be a significant obstacle for Villa,

01:51despite the club's improved financial strength. Former Villa defender Richard Dunne has praised

01:58Emre for his ability to manage high-potential players, highlighting Manchester United loanee

02:04Marcus Rashford as someone capable of taking Villa to the next level, provided he maintains

02:10consistency and a good attitude.

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