Dušan Vlahović is heading for free agency after Juventus failed to agree a new contract, with his exit set for June 30. The fee has gone to zero, but that does not make the deal simple. Tottenham, Newcastle and Chelsea are all being linked, and the real issue is whether the wages, signing-on bonus and agent fees make him worth it.
Why the free move still carries a big bill
TEAMtalk sources say Vlahovic is seeking around £8million per year, roughly £150,000 per week. Chronicle Live has put the figure higher, saying he could be on north of £170,000 per week. Those are very different numbers, but both point in the same direction. Free transfers are rarely free once the full package is added up.
That is where the appeal and the hesitation sit. Ross Gregory called him “very, very attractive” on a free, but added that there are “too many risks around it” when fit and system are factored in. Lee Ryder went further, saying he is “almost in the Alan Shearer-mould” as a proper old-fashioned centre-forward, while also warning that the wages would matter.
The production is not in doubt. Vlahovic has scored 120 goals in 303 senior games, and 68 of those came in 168 appearances for Juventus. That is a real striker’s record, even if Juventus decided the contract was no longer worth extending after salary talks and wider package concerns.
Why Premier League clubs are still watching
The interest is broad enough to keep the story alive. Tottenham, Newcastle United and Chelsea are all being linked, and each club can make a football case for why a striker of this profile would matter. Newcastle, in particular, would likely want assurances that he comes in as their leading centre-forward. Spurs and Chelsea are in the same market for proven attacking quality if the finances line up.
Antonio Cassano’s criticism gives the story an extra bite, because he was blunt about Vlahovic’s choice to join Juventus rather than take an intermediate step. “In my opinion [Vlahovic's decision] is sensationally wrong,” Cassano told football.london, arguing that Arsenal, Tottenham or Sevilla would have been the better move.
Cassano also said, “I don't see him as a player for Juve.” That view is harsher than most, but the broader point is hard to ignore. Juventus have now reached the point where the striker is leaving on a free after talks over salary demands broke down, and the next club still has to decide whether the wage packet matches the player. The market may still want him, but the price is no longer measured in transfer fee alone.
Compiled by the ClutchBrief Desk with AI assistance, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →