Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly rejuvenated their interest in a striker they nearly signed four years ago.
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Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly emerged as one of the leading contenders to sign highly-rated striker Dusan Vlahovic in the summer transfer window.
Vlahovic was heavily linked with a move to the Premier League in the past. In January 2022, during his time at Fiorentina, he became one of Mikel Arteta’s main striker targets for Arsenal and was also considered as an option for former Tottenham boss Antonio Conte before making a blockbuster £66.6m move to Juventus.
The 26-year-old Juventus frontman is out-of-contract in the summer and is understood to be considering a fresh challenge after spending the last four-and-a-half seasons of his career in Turin. Could he end up in North London?
Dusan Vlahovic transfer latest amid Spurs, Chelsea & Newcastle links
Carlo Pellegatti, a well-renowned football journalist in Italy, says Tottenham are among the clubs in pole position to land Vlahovic on a free transfer when his contract expires. He told IlMilanista that “Chelsea and Tottenham, and therefore England, could be in pole position for Dusan Vlahovic’s future,” tallying with a handful of recent reports.
Vlahovic has scored a combined total of 90 goals in Serie A throughout his career, making him one of the most lethal finishers in the division in recent years. Naturally signing him for free would be a huge coup for any interested clubs, but it’s worth noting that it’s likely to cost them a lot in terms of wages and signing-on fees, which he feels will stop AC Milan and his former boss Massimo Allegri from entering the race.
Pellegatti added: “I’m not surprised, because his agent’s commission demands are very high. He himself wants a signing bonus. The financial negotiations are very complicated and, in my opinion, excessive for Milan at this time.”
Why Vlahovic could be an excellent signing for Spurs
Spurs are currently enduring a challenging season, with the uncertainty surrounding the future of manager Thomas Frank dominating the headlines.
They’ve struggled with squad depth, injuries and the demands of European football. They’ve notably struggled to score goals on a regular basis due to the disappointing goal record of Randal Kolo Muani, who’s struggled since his loan move from PSG.
Dominic Solanke has shown some signs of promise since returning from a five-month lay off, but there’s also uncertainty surrounding Richarlison’s long-term role with the club with next season marking the final year of his deal. It therefore would make sense for them to sign a player of Vlahovic’s ilk. The Serbian is renowned for his immense physicality at 6ft3, is technically gifted and has proven consistently that he can score goals.
He’s had a subdued season under new manager Luciano Spalletti following the club’s decision to put their trust in new striker Jonathan David and the Serbian’s recent abductor injury which has kept him out since early December.
Vlahovic has only scored six times in 17 matches this term, including only three in 13 Serie A matches. However, it’s worth noting that for most of his career up until recently he’s been one of Italy’s top goalscorers - winning the Striker of the Year award in 2023/24 and making the Team of the Season two seasons earlier.
He has all the makings of a striker that could thrive in the Premier League and should get more gametime at Tottenham than he would at Chelsea, who already have Joao Pedro and Liam Delap along with Nicolas Jackson, who could return to the team’s plans under Liam Rosenior following his loan move from Bayern Munich.
Newcastle have also been mentioned as an alternative contender but it likely depends on whether they choose to keep the faith with players like club-record signing Nick Woltemade and No.9 Yoane Wissa after their recent slump in form.