Dusan Ilic, the fitness coach of the Serbian national team and a close friend of Dusan Vlahovic, has announced that the Juventus star will join Barcelona on a free transfer in the summer of 2026.
Vlahovic’s contract with Juventus expires at the end of this season, and so far, the Old Lady’s management has failed to reach an agreement with him on an extension due to the player’s desire to experience a new challenge outside of Italy.
Meanwhile, Barcelona is looking for a new striker to succeed Robert Lewandowski at Camp Nou, as the current trend within Joan Laporta’s administration is to let the Polish star go and sign a young player who can lead the Blaugrana’s attack for years to come.
Ilic told the Italian newspaper Tuttosport, “Vlahovic will return to play in Spain. I think he will move to Barcelona.”
He added, “He had an opportunity to play in La Liga with an offer from Atletico Madrid before joining Juventus, but he preferred to stay in Italy. Now the situation is different.”
He added, “Dusan loves and respects Italy, which is why he stayed there for so long, but now he needs to get back on track and try to improve.”
Regarding Vlahovic’s return from his serious injury, he concluded, “I expect him to be back on the pitch in early March, ready to start scoring goals again. The injury occurred in a sensitive area that heals slowly, which makes the rehabilitation period longer, but with the doctors and specialists, we will see him back on the field soon.”
