Boost for Arsenal as target’s contract talks officially announced as a failure

Rocco Commisso has confirmed that Dusan Vlahovic has turned down a new contract which would have seen him become their club’s highest ever earner, alerting the likes of Arsenal who have been linked with his signature.

The Gunners are expected to part ways with Alexandre Lacazette in the coming months, with the Frenchman’s contract having run into it’s final year, but it remains to be seen whether we will try to cash-in come January or allow him to leave for nothing next summer when his contract ends.

His departure will leave a hole in the squad that will likely need filling, unless there is some major development from one or more of Folarin Balogun, Gabriel Martinelli or Eddie Nketiah who are yet to convince the manager that they are worthy of regular playing time in attack.

Vlahovic could well be one who we should be looking at to take over from Lacazette however, earning plenty of admiration for his performance in front of goal for La Viola, and he very-much fits the bill of our recent transfer policy.

The Serbian striker is young, has plenty of scope for improvement, as well as already showing immense ability, and should be considered one whose value could dramatically improve in the coming years, not that we should be looking to sell.

His contract situation also means that he should be attainable, although there could be a number of clubs in competition for him in the coming transfer windows following Commiso’s official communication.

“When I arrived in Florence, I promised the fans that I would be up front with them and that I would never make promises that I couldn’t keep,” Commisso Admitted via Fiorentina’s official website this morning.

“I would therefore like to update the Fiorentina fans on an issue that has been much talked and spoken about in recent months – the question of Dusan Vlahovic’s contract.

“As you know, Fiorentina made a very significant offer to the player. Our proposal would have made him the highest paid player in the history of the club.

“We also improved our offer on a number of occasions in order to accommodate the requests of both Dusan and his entourage. However, despite our efforts, those offers have not been accepted.

“During my time in Florence over the past few weeks, I have personally endeavoured to find a solution that would make both the player and the club happy, but I am disappointed to say that our efforts and attempts have not been rewarded.

“At this point, all that we can do is acknowledge the wishes of the player and his entourage and quickly identify feasible, appropriate solutions as we proceed with this exciting new season.

“In any case, Dusan Vlahovic has a contract linking him to Fiorentina for the next 21 months. We have no doubt that the player will – as he always has – do his bit to help the team achieve its objectives, showing the same level of professionalism he has shown since he arrived in Florence, with the utmost respect from our fans, his team-mates, the coach and the club as a whole.”

Would Vlahovic jump at the chance to join our young and exciting squad?

Patrick