Manchester United target Dusan Vlahovic is set to run down his contract at Juventus with his deal expiring next summer.
The Red Devils have been linked to a plethora of strikers this transfer window and one name that has popped up from time to time is that of Vlahovic.
Nonetheless, according to reports in Italy, the striker seems in no rush to leave Turin.
Corriere dello Sport state that “Vlahovic has thought long and hard about whether to accept a reduction in his annual salary from €12 million to €7-8 million.”
The 25 year old “then came to the conclusion that he was no longer central to the project and began to play defensively, putting his own interests before those of the club.”
As a result, he is now reportedly keen to stay on his current wage for one more year and run out his contract so he can leave on a free in 2026.
The same outlet argue that this could also have a knock-on effect for another United striker target, Jonathan David.
It is stated that the Old Lady have “already found a basic agreement with David for a salary of €7 million net plus bonuses and they are now negotiating with his entourage over the large commission requested and the additional signing-on bonus. The agents would like €12 million, then another €5-6 would be needed as an incentive.”
Problematically, Juve are still “grappling” with the Vlahovic situation with his refusal to leave putting into question their ability to sanction the David deal.
Gazzetta dello Sport corroborate this viewpoint by stating that the club finds itself at a crossroads with Dusan Vlahovic, which is in turn slowing down the negotiations for David.
The paper states that the Serbian striker has “confided to his friends that this summer he has no intention of moving, whatever the cost. He has already said no to Fenerbahce even if José Mourinho would do anything to have him and there are no other solutions that intrigue him.”
The Italian outlet also backs up Corriere dello Sport by assessing that “the failure to sell Vlahovic, however, could become a problem, because it is true that the club would not have the funds for David’s registration.”
It remains to be seen whether United would re-enter the race for David were a deal to collapse because of Vlahovic’s refusal to depart. What’s more, the Serbian could also come into play for the Red Devils next summer as a free agent option should he continue to refuse a new deal at Juventus.
Feature image Alessandro Sabattini via Getty Images
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Alex Browne
Alex is a huge Manchester United fan, inspired by greats of his homeland such as George Best, Harry Gregg and Norman Whiteside. Proud owner of such niche shirts such as Kleberson, Eric Djemba-Djemba and Gary Neville. Grew up pretending to be Ruud van Nistelrooy and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the back garden, with little success.
