Manchester City suffer major blow in pursuit of Serie A’s star striker
One of Europe’s most in-demand strikers, Dusan Vlahovic has insisted that he could still sign a contract extension with Fiorentina amid links with Manchester City.
The Serbian international, 21, continued his sensational form this season, scoring 18 goals in 22 appearances across all competitions. Dusan Vlahovic matched Cristiano Ronaldo’s record of most Serie A goals (33) in a calendar year since 1960, and his meteoric rise has caught the attention of a host of European clubs.
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Manchester City are one of those clubs, as Pep Guardiola’s hunt for a striker to replace the now-retired Sergio Aguero continues. Dusan Vlahovic is out of contract at Fiorentina in 2023 and negotiations for an extension broke down definitely in late November.
However, the 21-year-old striker recently gave an interview in his native that suggested he could reassess his position and discuss fresher terms with the La Viola.
"“Only God knows what will happen in the next period of my career, but my wish is to bring Fiorentina to Europe, because we have not been in Europe for a long time. I don’t know what can happen overnight. We’ll see,” Dusan Vlahovic told Politika when asked what his plans were upon the expiry of his contract in 2023."
And when pressed if signing a contract extension at the Stadio Artemio Franchi is a possibility, he claimed: “Never say never. But at the moment I am focused on winning matches.”
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Vlahovic’s recent comments could come as a worry for Manchester City, who recently lost Ferran Torres to Barcelona. Pep Guardiola views the Serbian as the perfect striker for both the present and the future of the Sky Blues and could eye a summer swoop, having insisted that the club won’t be signing a replacement for Torres in this window.
The situation of Vlahovic at Fiorentina remain unchanged, though, with the 21-year-old wanting to see the season out before making a move to a bigger European club. Will Man City be able to sign Vlahovic in the summer? Only time will tell.