Football’s most valuable free agent: Why has no one signed Dusan Vlahovic yet?

It’s the time of year when most of the better players who’ve just been released are being picked up by new clubs, or at least have something in the pipeline.

How paradoxical it seems, then, that this summer’s most valuable free agent remains without a club as August nears.

Dusan Vlahovic has just finished a four-and-a-half-year spell with Juventus. Before that, he played for Fiorentina for three-and-a-half years, meaning he has a full eight seasons of Serie A experience under his belt.

And at 26, the Serbian striker should be coming into the prime of his career, having hit double figures of goals in the last six of those seasons.

But as the new season approaches, Vlahovic is still in limbo.

According to Transfermarkt, Vlahovic is the most valuable free agent still out there. Their algorithm has him down as a £30m player. But does anyone actually want him?

Right now, there’s not much in the way of concrete developments on his future. Manchester United are starting to be linked, while his name has been floated for Barcelona. But there’s nothing to do with agreements, medicals or the like.

There’s a lot to like about Vlahovic as a player. He’s a big presence up front, capable of scoring with either foot, his head, or even from free kicks. He can carry the ball forward almost as well as he can hold it up.

But he’s not the complete package, lacking something in terms of link-up play, pressing and consistency.

Still, he must be worth a shot for someone, right?

Perhaps it boils down to the difference between the player Vlahovic is, the player Vlahovic could have been, and the player Vlahovic could yet be.

When he was coming through at Fiorentina, Vlahovic looked a big prospect. He attracted Arsenal, you may recall, but he convinced Juventus enough for them to spend up to €80m on him when he was just turning 22.

Unfortunately, Vlahovic hasn’t quite kicked on as many thought he would. His best goal tally in a full season for Juventus was 18 in 2023-24. Last season, he only scored 10.

He averaged about 15 goals a season in his time with Juventus, but that’s not the return they paid for. They wanted him to be at least a 20-goal-a-season man.

It illustrates how Vlahovic isn’t quite at the elite level yet, and perhaps might never be. There’s still time for him to improve, but it’s running out – and he can’t exactly make much progress without a team to kick a ball for.

The biggest issue preventing Vlahovic from finding a new club might well be his wages. Last season, he was not only Juventus’ highest-paid player, but the top earner in all of Serie A. As many as 22 players on lower salaries outscored him.

Vlahovic’s wages are indicative of the elite player some forecasted him to become. His output does not match.

Thus, the very best teams will be wary of Vlahovic’s performance levels. It’s why, when the former Partizan player was offered to Barcelona – a club in need of a striker – there was some hesitation.

Those clubs on the rung below, illustrious and/or ambitious but not at the top of the tree – and that’s where Man Utd are at the moment, for instance – will be wary of pushing the boat out too much for him.

Even Juventus might have kept him had he not held out for (according to Tuttosport) €8m a year, which is roughly £132,000 per week.

“With these figures, he won’t remain in Italy, so it is only fair and legitimate that he is seeking a different type of salary,” confirmed Juventus director and Vlahovic’s former teammate, Giorgio Chiellini.

But that ballpark doesn’t seem outlandish for some Premier League suitors. They just need to know it’d be good value for money.

And as long as there are those doubts, Vlahovic’s waiting game will continue.

There is an obvious way out. Swallow some pride and just drop your demands, Dusan. And reports suggest he’d be willing to – but only for the right club.

It’s believed Vlahovic would ask for less from a Barcelona than he would a Besiktas, one of the other options drifting around. That makes sense as a compromise, but the caution from the club side stems from the fear that they could be compromising on quality.

But there are only so many truly elite strikers around – and even fewer that clubs would willingly part with.

That should mean someone good but not great like Vlahovic becomes more appealing, especially as clubs start to panic the closer the end of the transfer window gets.

As a free agent, of course, Vlahovic can sign for a new club even after then, but you’d think he’d have the bit between his teeth and be raring to prove his point at the earliest opportunity.

Alas, he seems on course to be clubless when the new season starts. And that would be a massive shame.