Arsenal allegedly want to sign Fiorentina striker Dusan Vlahovic to boost their forward options.
The Daily Express has reported that the Gunners and Fiorentina discussed a potential deal for the Serbian international this week.
Sources in Italy reported interest from Arsenal, but the player and his agent will wait before deciding on a move.
The reports arrive with Arsenal currently on a superb run in the Premier League, going unbeaten in their last six matches. On that run, they have defeated the likes of Leicester, Tottenham and Aston Villa. Striker and captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been a stand-out performer.
Read: Antonio Conte’s record against Arsenal may worry Tottenham fans
Many European clubs want Vlahovic after his recent goalscoring exploits in Serie A. Let’s look at the Serbian international in more detail and the stats that explain why Arsenal may want to sign him.
Who is Dusan Vlahovic?
Dusan Vlahovic is a Serbian international striker who has lit up Italian football in the last couple of years.
Last campaign, the 21-year-old smashed in 21 goals in 37 league appearances. Additionally, he established himself as a starter in the national team. He currently has six goals in 12 games for Serbia.
Naturally, his form has been the focus of plenty of attention for the biggest clubs. Arsenal are one of a host of clubs said to be keen on signing him.
The key Vlahovic stats
The best place to start when looking at Vlahovic’s statistics is goals. The 21-year-old has eight of them in 11 league appearances this term. Included in that tally is a hat-trick in his most recent appearance against Spezia.
He has scored his goals across 981 minutes of game time this season. That’s a goal every 123 minutes. Comparing this to Arsenal strikers, Aubameyang averages a goal every 175 minutes, whilst Alexandre Lacazette’s average is 198 minutes.
One reason for Vlahovic’s excellent goal tally is the number of shots he gets away. As per WhoScored data, his 3.3 shots per game in Serie A is higher than Aubameyang (2.4) and Lacazette (0.6).
Another interesting statistic is the distance from which he shoots. On average, Vlahovic hits 1.1 shots per game from outside the box, making him a threat from any position.
His aerial statistics are very similar to Aubameyang. The Serbian international edges out his fellow striker in this category, winning an average of 2.2 aerial duels per game. Aubameyang is close behind on two per game. At 6ft 3in, Vlahovic is taller than Aubameyang, who stands at 6ft 2in.
How much would Vlahovic cost?
Vlahovic’s current value in the transfer market is complicated by his current contract situation at Fiorentina.
His current deal runs until 2023, but the club’s owner, Rocco Commisso, said last month that the striker had refused to sign a new contract.
Commisso said: “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.”
Italian news outlet Tuttosport claimed back in June that Vlahovic would cost any club around €50-60 million.
However, journalist Gianluca Di Marzio has today reported that Fiorentina want €80m for the player.
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