Ruben Amorim can do what Mikel Arteta and Arsenal failed to do despite desperate 18 month effort

Manchester United can rub salt in the wounds of Arsenal and Mikel Arteta by completing a deal to sign Dusan Vlahovic from Juventus this summer.

The 25-year-old striker has been linked with a move away from the Allianz Stadium due to a stall in contract negotiations. His current deal runs until the summer of 2026, meaning Juventus may need to sell now to avoid losing him as a free agent in 12 months.

As a result, several top clubs across Europe are monitoring Vlahovic’s situation and could step up their interest if the opportunity arises. Juventus are already being linked with possible replacements, with Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson and Liverpool’s Darwin Nunez named as potential targets by the Italian media in recent weeks.

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While Arsenal remain laser-focused on their own pursuit of a striker this summer, amid reported interest in Benjamin Sesko and Viktor Gyokeres, things could have played out very differently for Vlahovic had the Gunners got their way in January 2022. Arsenal were heavily linked with the Serbia international ahead of his move from Fiorentina to Juventus but failed to land their key target.

Reports at the time claimed Arteta was prepared to shape his entire project around the then-21-year-old, but Vlahovic and his representatives refused to entertain the idea of a move to north London. A few months after completing his move to Turin, the striker addressed the Arsenal interest.

Vlahovic told The Telegraph in June 2022: "Maybe my agent knows but I never talked to anyone about it. I just had one club in my mind because Juventus is Juventus. There is nothing else to say."

Since joining Juventus, Vlahovic has scored 56 goals and registered 14 assists in 143 appearances across all competitions. Rumours of a potential move to Arsenal have persisted in the years since, with fresh links emerging again this summer amid the club’s continued striker search.

That said, there have been no concrete reports suggesting Arsenal will reignite their interest in Vlahovic. Instead, they appear to be focused on securing younger talent, including RB Leipzig’s Sesko.

Instead, United are among the clubs reportedly alert to Vlahovic’s situation at Juventus. Other clubs in Italy have also been linked with the striker, along with Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest.