La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Juventus has decided to renew Dusan Vlahovic’s contract, blocking Barcelona’s interest in signing the Serbian international.
Barca had identified Vlahovic as their top choice to replace Robert Lewandowski, whose contract is expected to expire next summer.
Juventus’ initial stance was against renewing Vlahovic’s contract, but the situation has completely changed in recent days. The club’s management now sees the 26-year-old as the cornerstone of their project to return to winning ways next season.
It is said that Luciano Spalletti is keen to keep Vlahovic and has made this a condition for extending his own contract with the Bianconeri for another two years.
While Vlahovic reportedly favors the idea of moving to Barcelona and leaving Italian football, his recent serious injury has led him to reconsider the value of staying with Juventus and regaining his form before leaving.
With Spalletti at the helm, Vlahovic is guaranteed a starting place at Juventus, making a breakthrough in negotiations between the player and the club highly likely.
The player’s high wage demands were one of the obstacles hindering negotiations with Juventus, and Barcelona remains keenly awaiting developments in the coming days, hoping to sign the player on a free transfer next summer.
