Reports: Dušan to J********

For months, I’ve all dreaded the inevitable. Ever since it was announced in early October that Dušan Vlahović would not renew, there was a fear that Vlahović had his mind set on one goal: Juventus. I tried to convince myself this wasn’t the case, even though it’s what we’d been hearing for months. How else would he have come that close to moving to Atletico Madrid in the summer? Why would he want to go to the worst Juventus side in a decade when he could easily force his way to Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City or earn more money at Arsenal?

A few years ago, I may have added another question: why would he screw over Fiorentina fans when he loves the city and club? I’ve learned from the Chiesa and Bernardeschi sagas that loyalty is minimal in modern-day Calcio, but Dušan, for a fleeting moment, felt different.

“Cuando mi offreno il rinnovo firmo”

Those were Dušan’s words last summer when asked about signing a new contract. I knew it was a lie, but at the same time, I held onto a sliver of hope. He loves the club too much, he would never follow the same path to the Gobbi as those before him.

Alas, it seems certain this is not the case. The only big surprise is that this movie looks set to happen in January rather than the summer. For Dušan, there’s no way back for him in a Fiorentina jersey after the slate of reports released tonight that he is on the verge of a move to Turin. Look to the top of the article for the Fiesole’s words if you need to know why.

Reports are currently varied. Some state that a €67 million fee has already been agreed and Dušan has his medicals in Turin on Thursday. Other, more reliable sources are saying that Juve is about to submit an official offer in the coming hours. Regardless, talks are on, and this seems set to go through given Fiorentina’s fear of losing Dušan for free in 18 months.

Let me know your thoughts in the poll above and the comments below.

Wrapping this up, I will say this. If we sell Dušan, it is inexcusable to not go out and buy a star player. If we have to overpay, I don’t care. The fans have been through enough with Chiesa and Bernardeschi, and only replacing Dušan with Artur Cabral is not enough.