For many Serie A fans, Dusan Vlahovic ‘burst’ onto the scene two years ago. A glut of goals for Fiorentina highlighted his talent. This youngster was one to watch.
In truth, though, Vlahovic’s ascent has surprised few who have followed his career since before his arrival in Italy.
Scouts have written the Serbian forward’s name in their notebooks for many years. He made his senior debut for Partizan Belgrade a few weeks after his 16th birthday, making him their youngest-ever player, a record that still stands.
A look further back in the Vlahovic video archives shows that he has stood out since at least the age of 10. Be warned: This footage may make you feel talentless.
Dusan Vlahovic, the 10-year-old gem
In the wake of his transfer to Juventus – which we’ll get to shortly – fans of the Old Lady have been gushing over their new signing on social media.
One Reddit post that received love featured a compilation of 10-year-old Vlahovic in a six-a-side league, wiping the floor with the opposition.
A tall forward now, 6ft 3in, at the age of 22, Vlahovic’s physical stature seemed to grow gradually throughout his childhood and adolescence. He was, in every sense, head and shoulders above his peers at this stage of his development.
Vlahovic has astonishing shooting power and ball control for his age. He also displayed his talents through the scoring of a range of goals. Thunderous strikes, weaving solo runs, even overhead kicks – this kid could do it all.
Fans often hear about the best players playing above their age group in youth football. This video shows the reason why. Vlahovic found this type of game far too easy. It’s little wonder he played senior professional football before he was allowed to drink.
Vlahovic moves to Juventus
Juventus aren’t dominating Serie A on the pitch like they once did. However, they remain top dogs off it. I Bianconeri showed the pull they possess this week with the signing of Dusan Vlahovic from Fiorentina for a fee of £62 million.
Vlahovic will earn close to £6 million per season with Juventus. He probably could have earned more money had he moved to the Premier League, but he opted against that route despite interest from Arsenal and Tottenham.
The transfer hurt Fiorentina fans, who have had to watch their club sell star players like Roberto Baggio and Federico Chiesa to their bitter rivals in the past.
