Arsenal suffer Dusan Vlahovic killer transfer blow

Remember in 2013 when Gonzalo Higuain had agreed a move to Arsenal for little over £20m and was due to fly in and finalise the deal? It was going to bring an end to an infamous transfer saga.

He never came.

And while the Dusan Vlahovic case has been nowhere near the level of the Argentinian’s protracted move, it had got many supporters at fever pitch. A striker destined to be among the finest in the world moving to Arsenal for big money? That causes a buzz.

He won’t be coming.

Arsenal suffer Dusan Vlahovic killer transfer blow as Juventus agree £60m deal to sign Fiorentina striker in January window

From the very early stages it became apparent that this would be a difficult operation to pull off. The money soon turned out not to be a factor, with the fees demanded by Fiorentina certainly pricey, but also in line with modern inflation and demand.

What was the issue was the striker and his representatives not wanting to commit to a new club before others had weighed in. That meant waiting until the summer when his price would have dropped and there was more time for negotiations. Or, maybe he only wanted one club all along.

Perhaps not one club, but certainly one destination: Serie A.

Hope had began fizzling out for the Gunners who felt like their chances of landing the Serbian powerhouse were gradually getting slimmer, when the final nail in the coffin was hammered.

As per Goal Italy, and pieced together by most other reliable outlets in the country, Juventus have agreed a deal for the 21-year-old thought to be in the region of €67m.

Where on earth a club as broke as I Bianconeri pull this money out of is anyone’s guess, although it will almost certainly be a lengthy loan offer with an obligation to buy in a few years’ time. I always is. The top sides in Serie A have the other clubs wrapped around their fingers.

Remember when Arsenal were ‘closing in’ on signing Felipe Melo from Fiorentina? I Viola didn’t want to sell to another club in Italy….and then they did. To Juventus.

In any case, all the noise coming out of the country is that Vlahovic will get his move. His dream move. You have to feel happy for him – although anyone who actively wants to play alongside Adrien Rabiot is someone to avoid – and now Arsenal can finally move on to whatever comes next.

Arsenal, however, now have a moral obligation to secure the top four while Juventus have to miss out on the Champions League. No bitterness, or anything. Of course not. But it would be enjoyable.