Who is Dusan Vlahovic? The next Ibrahimovic linked with Man Utd
"I think that after Haaland and Mbappe, he is one of the strongest in Europe." The two strikers are the hottest young talents on the continent, and when Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo do hang up their boots, the battle lines will be drawn in the ongoing war of who is the supreme talent in football.
For Dusan Vlahovic, then, to be mentioned in the same breath as the pair by former Inter and Fiorentina powerhouse Christian Vieri is a huge compliment. As the focus of attenion is on Haaland and Mbappe, Vlahovic has been quietly going about his business, at least on the pitch. Off it, his confidence is unwavering.
"He used to tell me, 'I am a Zlatan Ibrahimovic from Belgrade, I will play for the strongest clubs'. I liked his arrogance," former Fiorentina man and Vlahovic's ex-Partizan Belgrade teammate Valeri Bojinov said recently. For any striker, you need that confidence in order to succeed in the game and it is serving Vlahovic well in Italy.
A brace in Fiorentina's 3-2 defeat to Atalanta took him to 15 league goals for the season, that level with Ibrahimovic in Serie A, and joint fifth in the scoring charts in Italy's top tier. In fact, it's difficult to find a Serie A frontman in better form than the young Serb of late. The 21-year-old has had a direct hand in seven goals in his last four league outings, netting six, and secured the WhoScored man of the match award in three of those appearances.
The youngster's going from strength to strength for the Viola and his performances haven't gone unnoticed across the continent, with a host of Premier League sides showing an interest in Vlahovic. Indeed, Manchester United, Tottenham, Arsenal and West Ham have all been monitoring his development in Italy with a view to a potential summer move for the Serbia international and interest is certainly justified.
A conversion rate of 21.4% ranks just outside the top 10 - of 55 - players in Serie A of those to have scored five or more goals and register at least 25 shots this season to reinforce a statistically calculated WhoScored strength of 'finishing'. Considering Fiorentina rank in the bottom half for possession (48.7%) and third from bottom for chances created (221) in Serie A in 2020/21, Vlahovic makes the most of the ammunition provided to him by those around him to ensure that the Viola are keeping their head above water at present.
In a more dominant, creative side, Vlahovic has the tools to really take his game to the next level, which is why a number of sides are monitoring his development closely. There's also a common misconception that Vlahovic would be a more old school number nine, using his physical standing to bully defenders, but this isn't the case.
Standing a shade over 6'2", Vlahovic isn't afraid to chance his luck against opposition defenders in the air and his 182 aerial duels contested is the second most in Serie A this season. However, a 41.8% aerial success rate isn't the best for a striker his height, even if he is smaller than most centre-backs.
That said, playing such a direct route to goal would be waste of his talents. Vlahovic is adept at dropping deep in search of possession in order to ease pressure on the defence. 20 successful dribbles may not seem like much on the face of it, but ranks fifth for Fiorentina in Serie A this term and proves he can get past his opponent if required to help open up additional attacking channels that teammates can maximise.
Yet, as with any striker, it's inside the box where Vlahovic carries out his best work. 14 of his 15 league goals have come from inside the opposition penalty area, meaning he averages a goal every 9.9 touches inside the box. Evidently, Vlahovic is very clever at using his head when he is in front of goal, but not in the way you might think despite his height.
Just one of his 15 league goals have been a header, with the other 14 from his wicked left foot. His intelligent movement in the final third is a key reason for that goal tally being so high. A case in point was the winning goal against Cagliari in January, where he pulled off the back of Diego Godin and was found perfectly by Jose Callejon in a 1-0 win. That said, given Fiorentina's low key pass return this season, Vlahovic's work off the ball is never fully capitalised upon and a more creative side would undoubtedly harness the full potential to his game.
Contracted to Fiorentina until 2023, the Viola may be more open to cashing in on Vlahovic this summer if the right offer comes along, particularly if the striker is tempted by a move away from Florence at the end of the season. If he continues to shine on the Serie A side's frontline, then his list of admirers will keep growing, yet it's clear that Vlahovic is a striker destined for great things in one of Europe's top leagues.
