Vlahovic message from Fiorentina owner as clubs chase Serbian striker

A
host
of
wealthy
European
clubs
are
keeping
a
close
eye
on
the
21-year-old
striker,
who
is
going
from
strength
to
strength
with
the
Viola.

Arsenal
and
Atletico
Madrid
have
been
among
the
teams
most
recently
linked,
with
Tottenham
and
Juventus
also
potentially
keen
on
a
deal.

Vlahovic
joined
Fiorentina
as
a
teenager
from
Belgrade
giants
Partizan,
making
his
Serie
A
debut
in
the
2018-19
season.

He
has
18
club
goals
this
season,
netting
on
average
once
every
104.17
minutes.
Only
four
strikers
from
Europe’s
top
five
leagues
have
scored
more
in
2021-22:
Robert
Lewandowski
(31),
Mohamed
Salah,
Karim
Benzema
(both
23)
and
Erling
Haaland
(19).

Commisso
said
in
an
interview
with
the
Financial
Times:
“He
developed
here.
And
he
should
give
recognition,
whatever
happens,
to
the
club
that
got
him
to
where
he
is.”

Vlahovic
is
massively
outperforming
his
expected
goals
(xG)
total
of
12.61,
and
that
points
to
sharp
finishing
from
the
Serbian.
Indeed,
he
has
tucked
away
80
per
cent
(12
of
15)
of
the
opportunities
defined
by
Opta
as
big
chances.

That
is
the
best
big-chance
conversion
rate
among
all
forwards
with
10
or
more
goals
in
the
Premier
League,
LaLiga,
Serie
A,
Bundesliga
or
Ligue
1
this
season.

Rumour
Has
It:
Arsenal
dealt
Vlahovic
blow
as
Man
Utd
eye
up
Lamptey
move

Fiorentina
chief
Commisso
gave
his
interview
to
the
newspaper
in
November,
with
the
interview
published
on
Thursday.

According
to
the
FT,
he
said
Fiorentina
were
“under
active
considerations
as
to
what
to
do”
about
Vlahovic.

Fiorentina
have
a
high-value
player
on
their
hands,
but
Vlahovic’s
contract
runs
only
until
the
end
of
next
season,
when
he
could
walk
away
from
Florence
on
a
free
transfer.

He
has
turned
down
big-money
offers
to
extend
his
deal,
with
Commisso
saying
in
October
that
Fiorentina
would
have
been
willing
to
make
him
the
best-paid
player
in
the
club’s
history.

Commisso,
an
Italian
American
businessman
and
billionaire,
acquired
Fiorentina
in
June
2019
and
admits
he
has
been
amazed
by
the
goings-on
within
football.

“The
more
I
live
here,
with
this
crazy
sport,
the
more
I
realise
how
screwed
up
it
is,”
he
said.

The
72-year-old
also
said
he
has
poured
money
into
Fiorentina
and
is
not
banking
on
a
return.

“I’m
not
doing
it
for
the
money,”
he
added.
“Why
do
I
need
another
100
million,
you
follow
me?
I’m
gonna
lose
money.”