Dusan Vlahovic can finally complete Arsenal transfer after snubbing them in 'wrong' decision

Dusan Vlahovic has become available as a free agent following the expiration of his Juventus contract on Wednesday, potentially reigniting Arsenal's long-standing pursuit of the Serbian striker.

The 26-year-old was among Europe's most sought-after forwards when he departed Fiorentina in a €66 million transfer four years ago. Arsenal had submitted an offer worth approximately €60 million that same summer in 2022, before Vlahovic chose to join Juventus instead.

In 2022, former Italy striker Antonio Cassano questioned the decision during an appearance on Christian Vieri's Twitch channel. "In my opinion Vlahovic's decision is sensationally wrong," Cassano said. "For the type of player I think he is, he needed to make an intermediate step to a team like Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur or Sevilla who signed Anthony Martial. For me you know he has always been a second-tier player."

Vlahovic firmly defended his choice at the time, insisting he had never engaged with Arsenal's proposal. "Maybe my agent knows about Arsenal's offer but I never talked to anyone about it," he said. "I just had one club in my mind because Juventus is Juventus. There is nothing else to say. And now I feel honoured to be given this jersey. It's incredible every time I put it on. I definitely identify with their DNA. The Juventus personality coincides with my personality. When you come here you never give up you fight all the time you make the sacrifices. This was definitely what I was looking for."

Whether that same loyalty remains is debatable. Vlahovic was sparingly used last season, starting just 13 of his 23 appearances, though he still managed ten goals. Arsenal clinched the Premier League after bringing in Viktor Gyokeres as their new centre-forward, though the club may now look to add another striker of comparable profile to strengthen their options.