Serbian striker Dušan Vlahović is still without a club despite reports saying he wanted to make a decision by the end of last week. Barcelona remain his dream destination according to rumor, but the only club to have made a solid proposal that matches his demands is Beşiktaş.
Vlahović left Juventus after the Italians refused to acquiesce to his salary and signing bonus demands. He’s tested the open market and found top European clubs such as Barça and Atlético Madrid were willing to speak to him,
but less willing to actually sign him.
Reports say that Vlahović is willing to drop his financial demands to sign for a top club, especially Barcelona. But considering how high his original demands were, that may not be enough. Beşiktaş want him to accept their deal, which is quite hefty, and forget about Barça. But the player himself has obviously not done so, and is seemingly still holding out hope that the Catalans bite.
One development that could play strongly in his favor is the looming sale of Ferran Torres to PSG. If the World Cup hero is sold, Barcelona will be without their top two strikers from last season, with Robert Lewandowski having already left for Chicago Fire. Signing a striker will go from a top priority, to a necessity. In fact, Barça may have to sign two strikers in that case.
With other options such as Julián Alvarez looking increasingly likely, there is a line of thought that says Vlahović to Barcelona is the compromise that’s just a matter of time. But the biggest hurdle to overcome is a lack of enthusiasm for the signing from the Catalans’ part. If they were truly keen, they could have snapped him up any time.
