When Dusan Vlahovic scored his second purpose towards Frosinone final weekend, creating house within the field by wrong-footing his marker earlier than producing an beautiful end to degree 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 repute as one among Europe’s hottest skills was quick eroding. Juventus had acquired the Serbian hitman’s providers through the January switch window in 2022, beating critical competitors from Arsenal and forking out €80 million.
Price-tag strain
But Vlahovic struggled to breed the kind of kind that noticed him rating 38 objectives in 58 video games throughout one and a half seasons earlier than Juventus signed him. There was a rising feeling at 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 prepared to half with the form of cash Juventus wished, Vlahovic stayed put. And now many Juventus followers are thanking their fortunate stars.
The brace towards 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 objectives in seven Serie A video games having no equal.
In addition to deciding matches — he additionally assisted Daniele Rugani’s stoppage-time winner towards Frosinone — Vlahovic is trying like a pacesetter at The Old Lady. He has scored 37% of Juventus’ objectives 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 purpose towards Frosinone by inserting his hand underneath 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 purpose menace 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 purpose menace 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 placing 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 house a cross with a technically supreme first-time end. He later restored the two-goal cushion when he chested down a protracted ball, opened up house in entrance of two defenders with a contact and fired house 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 aim diving headers, his poacher’s intuition typically getting him to balls different strikers might have given up chasing.
At Juventus, Vlahovic doesn’t at all times get to point out off his all-round recreation. He doesn’t take part within the build-up as typically as Lautaro does at Inter, as an example, however the Serb has the ability and contact to roll his defenders underneath contact. This makes him an excellent bouncing board for passes to launch runners from deep, a aspect of his recreation that makes him a really perfect choice for each one-striker setups and the two-striker system he virtually at all times performs in at Juventus.
Power and contact: The Serb has the power and ability to roll his markers underneath contact. This makes him an excellent 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 shall 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 kind is persistently replicable or a one-off — this may also 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 verify whether or not cashing in when Vlahovic’s worth has risen once more is the correct transfer; the chance of dropping his probably elite peak years is pretty excessive as nicely.
For now, although, the main focus is on closing the hole to Inter and preserving 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.
