Four and a half years in Turin, and no trophy worth the name
Twenty million euros a season. That was the number sitting on Juventus’ wage bill next to Dusan Vlahovic’s name, and it is the number most of Italy assumed had killed his contract talks. The Serbia striker left on a free this summer and signed for Besiktas until 2029. Speaking to Serbian daily Mozzart Sport, he told a very different version of events.
The line that circulated for months in Italy was straightforward: Vlahovic priced himself out of a renewal. He rejects it. “It was written that I was putting forward several conditions for a new contract with Juventus, but a lot of that was false,” he said.
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A contract running down, and a seat on the bench
His explanation for losing his place is simpler than the one Turin settled on. “I started on the bench for a well-known reason: I was entering the final year of my contract. In my opinion, that was the only reason I started the season on the bench.” Two forwards had arrived over the summer. He says he took the backup role without complaint.
The part that stings is the silence. Three years of it, by his count. “For three years, despite everything that was written about my contract extension with Juventus, I had no concrete talks with the board until the end of the season. The last time we spoke, we couldn’t reach an agreement.” Media pressure and a restless Curva Sud handled the rest. He says he knows what actually went on behind closed doors.
Istanbul bets on a striker Europe stopped chasing
Juventus paid Fiorentina close to 80 million euros for him in January 2022. He leaves with no major honour and a market value badly dented.
Several weeks of shopping around followed the end of his deal. Napoli sniffed. The Premier League circled. Istanbul closed it, three years, first-choice striker, no queue in front of him. Whether the confidence he mislaid in Serie A comes back in the Super Lig is the only question that matters now.
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