ESPN pundit and journalist Julien Laurens has expressed his concern over Dusan Vlahovic and a potential move to Arsenal in the January transfer window.
With a very impressive goal record at current club Fiorentina, which stands at 47 goals in 107 games, it’s no surprise to see that the Serbian forward is in high demand right now.
A number of top clubs around Europe are reportedly showing an interest in signing him this window, including Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal.
With the futures of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah all in doubt, bringing in someone like Vlahovic could be the perfect remedy to their problems, especially if he’s able to produce for them at the same level he is at Fiorentina.
Speaking on ESPN FC, Laurens claimed that he doesn’t think a move to north London in January was likely for Vlahovic, as he didn’t think that the Gunners are big enough to make a move for him at this stage, and that they might have to wait until the summer to try and get him.
He said: “I think it’s very unlikely. One, because I don’t think that would be in his interest anyway, to leave Fiorentina in January now – it’s much better for him to wait for the summer. And you can expect him having a lot of offers and his agent preparing for something big in the summer.
“I don’t know if Arsenal is something that he would consider, especially if they don’t qualify for the Champions League for next season, he might want something already bigger than that and bigger clubs.
“Certainly they will be looking for strikers, whether it’s now in January or in the summer, because Lacazette is going to go, because Nketiah is going to go, because Aubameyang is up for sale. So they have to sign strikers at some point in the next six months.”
TIF Thoughts on Julien Laurens’ comments about Dusan Vlahovic and Arsenal…
Do Arsenal have a chance at Vlahovic?
Yes
No
With the futures of Aubameyang, Lacazette and Nketiah uncertain for next season, Vlahovic does seem like someone who can be the final piece of the Arsenal puzzle, with the Gunners making a good start in their rebuild both through their academy and the players they brought in under Arteta.
But Laurens is right when it comes to his assessment of Vlahovic and Arsenal right now, because so much of Arsenal’s future is uncertain, especially when it comes to European football.
Whilst they have made a good start in terms of getting themselves in the driving seat for a Champions League spot – all the more impressive given their terrible start to the year – it’s still far from certain whether they will be able to hold off that form for the rest of the season.
So it’s important that they maintain this push in order to give themselves a decent starting point when it comes to negotiating for him this coming summer, where you would imagine the competition for his signature will be just as fierce if he stays put in January.
In other news: ‘Would explain why Arteta’s been so keen to bin off Aubameyang’ – Journo excited by development