Analysis
In-depth analysis on Vlahovic who’s joining Juventus
With Juventus set to sign the 21-year-old Serbian striker for a reported fee of €75m, we will analyze the Serbian’s qualities and how he will fit into the Juventus lineup.
Vlahovic is already one of Europe’s best strikers, scoring 33 league goals for Fiorentina in 2021, a Series A record he shares with Cristiano Ronaldo. He is an elite goal scorer, managing to score so often in a side which lacks elite creativity and dominance. Vlahovic has so far this season scored 17 league goals, while taking 75 shots. This equates to a goal every 4.41 shots, a very impressive figure. Vlahovic is simply put, a natural goal scorer with an elite desire to find the back of the net each game.
A common misconception about Vlahovic is his “link up play being poor”, a total myth. Vlahovic has developed his link up play immensely over the past 12 months and has proven to dominate duels against his defenders, particularly with his back to goal. Vlahovic is very adept at receiving the ball with his back to goal and turning to beat the defender and continue the attack either by dribbling himself or finding an open teammate. A perfect example of this is his hat-trick goal against Benevento last season. Vlahovic has also significantly improved his aerial ability and ability to score goals with his head.
Dusan Vlahovic Juventus Transfer Thread: pic.twitter.com/K7NQ8CiJXj
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— TacticalRole (@TacticalRole) January 25, 2022
The only criticism of Vlahovic so far which can be made is an over-reliance on his left foot, however, with improved coaching and the mentality which he has, I am certain he will soon start scoring goals regularly with his weak foot also.
Perhaps Vlahovic’s biggest strength is his elite mentality, he is a consummate professional, with a sole focus upon being the best footballer he can be. He doesn’t go out partying, he doesn’t get caught up in the glamour, he’s either recovering or training in his spare time. Vlahovic’s mentality truly does remind of Cristiano Ronaldo, an insane desire to be the best, score goals and win titles, with a strong focus on avoiding external distractions. A quality which this current Juventus squad largely lacks. Yet another significant quality Dusan boasts is his durability, he has not missed a game due to injury at any point in his career so far other than when he was isolating due to testing positive to COVID-19. A huge quality given Juventus’ recent struggles with injuries.
There is no doubting Dusan Vlahovic’s ability, he is already one of Europe’s best strikers and I believe he will soon be the very best striker in Europe for a very, very long time. So, the question is, how does Dusan fit into Juve’s set up? It’s simple, Allegri loves a strong, physical striker who can score goals for fun while also providing for those around him.
Vlahovic will operate as the sole striker in Allegri’s system with Dybala and Chiesa (when fit) playing off the back of him. Vlahovic’s ability to dominate defenders with his back to goal and spread the ball onto the wings will add a dimension to Juve’s attack, opening spaces which Morata or Kean simply could not do. The numbers don’t lie, if Juve’s playmakers can provide Vlahovic with chances, he will finish them. Hence, the importance of Juventus’ often struggling midfield performing, and I would personally like to see the club push hard for the signing of Sergej Milinkovic-Savic in the summer.
This is the perfect move for Juventus, Vlahovic is truly the elite physical striker which the club has needed for several years. Given the current market €75m for one of Europe’s hottest prospects this is a signing which can return Juventus to the very top.
