Arsenal make player-plus-cash bid for Fiorentina striker Dusan Vlahovic

Arsenal have made a player-plus-cash bid worth €70 million to sign Fiorentina striker Dusan Vlahovic, Gazzetta dello Sport (today’s edition, page 10-11) claims.

The Gunners are eyeing a new striker this month. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has recently been dropped by manager Mikel Arteta, and there is speculation that he could be sold.

Vlahovic has been regularly linked with them in recent weeks, and it is now reported that they have lodged a formal offer for the Serbian, and want to sign him immediately.

The north London giants are ready to pay €55m in instalments while allowing Lucas Torreira (valued at €15m) to join the Serie A club permanently after his season-long loan.

La Viola’s hierarchy are having ‘serious reflections’ over the offer, but there appears no indication whether the striker would fancy leaving the club midway through the campaign.

Juventus, Atletico Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur have also been credited with an interest in Vlahovic, who is ‘pretending nothing is happening’ and ‘isn’t expressing himself’ openly yet.

Our view:

Vlahovic had a tremendous 2021 with Fiorentina, bagging 33 goals in the Italian top-flight. 16 of those have come this season where the club are vying for European football.

The Florence outfit may ideally want to keep him for the rest of the campaign. They are only six points adrift of the Champions League places with half of the season left.

However, that could potentially hamper them financially as the 21-year-old striker has declined to renew his existing contract which expires at the end of the next season.

Hence, a mid-season departure can’t be ruled out, but Vlahovic may not be an ideal fit for Mikel Arteta’s system.

The Serbian has had excellent record in front of goal lately, but he is more of a traditional striker that likes to position himself in and around the box waiting for scoring chances.

Arteta prefers to play with a striker that can drop into deeper attacking positions to hold-up and link-up play. That is definitely not one of the main strengths of the young striker.

He does his job of scoring goals with good effect, but does not offer much in terms of the build-up which has been a key attribute of Alexandre Lacazette at the north London club.

Stats from Transfermarkt.com

Read: Arsenal linked with surprise move for Georginio Wijnaldum.