Dusan Vlahovic: Fiorentina holding out for €75m amid Arsenal interest

Arsenal are pushing to sign Serie A’s top goalscorer this month

Dusan Vlahovic is currently the top goalscorer in Serie A (Getty Images)

Fiorentina are demanding the majority of their €75m asking price - just above £60m - for Dusan Vlahovic up front, potentially prohibiting a move to the Premier League this January.

The Serbian international, who has scored 16 goals in 20 games in Serie A already this season, is one of the most sought-after players in Europe.

Arsenal want to sign the 21-year-old this month, as they believe he can give them a pivotal push in the top-four race, and are willing to meet Fiorentina’s price tag so long as the Italian club compromise on the payment structure of the deal.

Arsenal want to pay what would be a club-record fee over four years, which they can afford even without the sale of former captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Fiorentina are reluctant to agree to do this, though, and Vlahovic and his camp are also conscious of the fact they will have more options in the summer when a release clause becomes active in his contract.

There is also the belief that Vlahovic will essentially benefit from being in Erling Haaland’s slipstream. While every club in Europe wants to sign the Norwegian this summer, only one will win and that is currently expected to be Real Madrid. Several top clubs could subsequently turn their attention to Vlahovic.

By then, Arsenal could well be a Champions League club again too, but Vlahovic’s arrival this month would undoubtedly help those chances.

There is a hope the hierarchy can negotiate a deal, especially as it gets closer to the end of the window. Fiorentina for the moment are not budging, although Arsenal believe they can put the necessary package together. Another element is that there would be a clearer run in January than in the summer.

Vlahovic himself is at least open to the move, especially given the drastic improvement at the Emirates stadium.