Arsenal enter race to sign Fiorentina striker Dusan Vlahovic
By Mitch Wilks
Arsenal are said to have joined a queue of at least five teams who are interested in signing Dusan Vlahovic from Fiorentina this summer,.
Vlahovic has attracted scouts and spectators from other clubs for his prolific performances this season, bagging 12 goals in 27 league appearances for Fiorentina so far.
The Serbian only signed with Fiorentina in 2018 but has impressed a number of top European sides. Italian outlet Calciomercato report that Arsenal have registered their interest in Vlahovic, but are in a scrap alongside RB Leipzig, AC Milan, Roma and Atletico Madrid, who are said to be the clubs most actively pursuing him.
Vlahovic, now 21, signed for La Viola from Partizan Belgrade in his native Serbia aged just 18. The Gunners had Vlahovic on their radar during his time at Partizan according to older reports, but now face a serious battle if they want to secure the services of the striker, whose rise to prominence this season has proven attractive.
The report describes the Serbian as a 'treasure', and with Arsenal looking set to be busy in the summer transfer market, Vlahovic has been identified as a candidate in a potential overhaul.
Fellow Italian outlet Tuttomercatoweb report that the Serb has a €40m (roughly £35m) price tag, while Calciomercato report that his value cannot currently be estimated.
Despite still being just 21, Vlahovic has won silverware with Partizan and played 74 times for Fiorentina, having initially plied his trade in their youth side. He has also made six appearances for the Serbia national team, and recently scored the second goal of the game in an eventual 3-2 win against Ireland.
Alexandre Lacazette has just over a year left on his current Arsenal contract, and with Mesut Ozil and Shkodran Mustafi both sold in January, head coach Mikel Arteta has shown that he is keen to rebuild the side into something more promising.