With Juventus struggling through the first half of the season, the Turin club knew they had to make a splash in January to solve the early problems. The club sat 11th in the table after a 2-1 loss to Hellas Verona on October 30, and it was clear something was wrong.
Enter Dusan Vlahovic, the most expensive signing of the January 2022 transfer window.
The 22-year-old Serbian striker was pouring on the goals for Fiorentina, and after moving to Juventus on a massive deal, he has continued to do the same in Turin. As a result, the Old Lady have shot up the Serie A table, and while a title chase was ruined by the rough start to the season, Vlahovic has helped the club rescue a Champions League place and they look set to secure a spot in Europe's top club competition next year.
So, what did Vlahovic cost Juventus? Sporting News breaks down all the details.
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How much did Juventus pay for Dusan Vlahovic?
Dusan Vlahovic cost Juventus an initial fee of €70million ($76m), payable over three financial years. With additional costs and possible bonuses included, the total sum could rise to as much as €91.6m ($99.5m).
The transfer fee makes Vlahovic the most expensive signing of the January 2022 transfer window, and the third-most expensive winter transfer ever, according to Forbes.
The up-front fee, according to Fiorentina sporting director Daniele Prade, was a lump-sum payment with no organized structure and no other frills.
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Why did Vlahovic cost so much?
This one's easy: because he's young and scores a boatload of goals.
He signed for Juventus on his 22nd birthday, and at the time, he had scored 17 goals in 21 league matches with Fiorentina.
Overall, Vlahovic had scored the fourth-most goals over the past season and a half in all of the Big 5 European leagues, only behind superstars Robert Lewandowski, Erling Haaland, and Karim Benzema.
38 - Dusan #Vlahovic has scored the most goals (38) in the last two Serie A campaigns (since 2020/21) - among the big-5 European Leagues only Lewandowski (64), Haaland (43) and Benzema (40) netted more. Predator. pic.twitter.com/FHcQW1m43i
— OptaPaolo 🏆 (@OptaPaolo) January 25, 2022
While Fiorentina are certainly considered a "big club" and well established in Serie A, they are still not quite the level of Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, or perhaps even Borussia Dortmund, so a player performing at that level at a club like Fiorentina is incredibly impressive.
There were only two things keeping his transfer fee from being even higher. While Arsenal were heavily rumored to be in for the Serbian, ultimately Vlahovic only wanted to sign for Juventus, and a one-track mind like that can often drive the price down as Fiorentina lost negotiating leverage. The Viola's own sporting director made it publicly known that Vlahovic's agents wouldn't even respond to anything other than a deal with Juventus.
In addition, Vlahovic had just 18 months remaining on his Fiorentina contract, also serving to knock the club's negotiating power knowing that no deal in January would mean Vlahovic would enter the final year of his contract and the club could lose him for less, or even on a free.
At just 22 years old, Vlahovic could be an asset at Juventus for a considerable amount of time. His contract runs through the summer of 2026, meaning he would cost a fortune to be successfully poached by a rival giant until about 2024 at the very least. That was all very much worth the money for Juventus, and it has already paid dividends.
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Who is Dusan Vlahovic as a player?
Vlahovic is already one of the top strikers in Europe.
He's left-footed, and scores most of his goals from that side, but is capable of scoring with his head and his weaker foot as well. Amongst his 50 career Serie A goals, he has scored 40 of them with his left foot, six with his head, and four with his right foot.
Vlahovic is incredibly prolific in front of goal, registering the fourth-highest expected goals (xG) number in Serie A this season at 17.38 xG in 31 games across both clubs.
With 23 goals in Serie A this season, his +5.62 differential between expected and actual goals is top in the league, with only Ciro Immobile and Giovanni Simeone anywhere close. That suggests a bit of luck to his finishing, but as a young player, trends are important, and sure enough he has improved his differential every season, with his first two Fiorentina campaigns in the negative before a +2.52 mark last season. Instead of luck, that suggests a player who is developing and improving into one of the world's most ruthless finishers.
He is a pure goalscorer, one that doesn't create many chances for teammates. This season, across his two clubs, Vlahovic has an expected assists (xA) number of 2.96, which is low compared to another top, young striker like Erling Haaland who is prolific at both, registering 5.1 xA in 11 fewer games (he missed considerable time through the early spring with an injury).
How has Vlahovic played for Juventus?
After scoring 17 goals in 21 appearances for Fiorentina this season, his switch to Juventus has proven a mixed bag, but he has come up big on multiple occasions and has provided a jolt to a stagnant Juve attack, and he appears to be finding his stride at his new club.
Vlahovic scored on his Juve debut, bagging the opener in a 2-0 league win over Hellas Verona on February 6. Despite that, he scored in just two of his first six league matches with the Bianconeri, but since has exploded back onto the scene.
Three goals in his past four games in league play has seen the club tighten their grip on a Champions League place. Last time out, he saved Juve's bacon with a late equalizer in a 1-1 home draw with Bologna that otherwise would have proven a dreadful result.
He also scored on his Champions League debut with the club, a 1-1 draw at Villarreal, but came up empty in the return leg as the Spanish side won convincingly and progressed into the quarter-finals.
