Is Dusan Vlahovic Juventus Biggest Transfer Failure?

Dusan Vlahovic, signed for €83.5 million in 2022, has underperformed with just 58 goals in 145 games (0.4 goals per game). Once a top prospect, he failed to replicate his Fiorentina form at Juventus. Now set to be replaced by Jonathan David, Vlahovic is being labelled Juventus' worst-ever transfer alongside Arthur Melo and Felipe Melo.

With the summer transfer window nearing its peak, Dusan Vlahovic looks set to depart Juventus, sparking debate over whether he could go down as the club’s worst-ever signing. Juventus paid Fiorentina €70 million ($81.77 million) for the Serbian striker in January 2022, with an additional €11.6 million ($13.55 million) in solidarity fees and potential €10 million ($11.68 million) in bonuses.

This brings the total potential cost of the deal to €83.5 million ($97.54 million). Despite high expectations after scoring 38 goals in 58 league matches for Fiorentina, Vlahovic never quite delivered in Turin. In 145 appearances for Juventus, he managed 58 goals, averaging just 0.4 goals per game, a number that sits between his early struggles at Fiorentina and his breakout period.

The disappointment in Vlahovic’s return is compounded when compared with other underwhelming Juventus signings such as Arthur Melo, who cost €72 million and played only 63 matches, and Felipe Melo, whose €25 million transfer included two poor seasons and several controversies. Others like Douglas Costa and Marko Pjaca also struggled to justify their transfer fees. With Vlahovic likely on his way out and Jonathan David set to replace him, his time at Juventus may be remembered as one of the club’s most expensive flops.