Report: Barcelona now keen on signing 'lightning' £70m striker, after claims Arsenal want him

By Lee Connor

Dusan Vlahovic continues to be a name linked with a move to Arsenal but the Gunners could find Barcelona now standing in their way.

Vlahovic has long been coveted by Arsenal. They went all out to try and sign him in January 2022 but he signed for Juventus instead in a deal worth around £70m.

Since then, the Gunners have signed the likes of Gabriel Jesus in attack. However, interest in Vlahovic hasn’t gone away and the Gunners were linked with the Serbian once again in January.

But according to a report from TuttoJuve, Barcelona are now keeping their eyes on Vlahovic’s situation.

With Juventus currently having a nightmare off the field again, there could be a mass exodus of big players. Vlahovic is one of their big assets, and could well be sold to raise big money.

Arsenal, meanwhile, are expected to go big again in the summer. A star midfielder is seen as a priority, with Declan Rice among those mentioned. However, the ‘lightning quick‘ Vlahovic will remain on the radar for Arsenal, and with Champions League football coming, another top forward could be targeted.

TBR’s View: Vlahovic wouldn’t want to play second fiddle to Jesus

Arsenal’s interest in Vlahovic is interesting really. We’ve seen how they only have Eddie Nketiah to fill in for Gabriel Jesus at the moment. So in that sense, going for another forward makes sense.

The issue will come in what they want to pay for a new forward. Juve won’t be letting Vlahovic go on the cheap, so the Gunners could end up having to pay over £50m for someone to play back up to Jesus. Further, the Serbian will surely want guarantees of minutes too.

Barcelona being in for Vlahovic isn’t surprising either. The Catalan club seem to fancy most top players. Whether they’ve got the money to finance a deal though, is another matter.