Has Dusan Vlahovic finally found his feet at Juventus? Premium

Dusan Vlahovic's resurgence at Juventus, leading Serie A in goals, has fans and experts alike singing his praises.

When Dusan Vlahovic scored his second goal against Frosinone last weekend, creating space in the box by wrong-footing his marker before producing an exquisite finish to level the game at 2-2, the official Juventus social media handle exclaimed: “Dusan!! He just can’t stop scoring can he?!” It was a sentiment the Bianconeri fans ardently agreed with.

This marked a change — in both the tone and mood in Turin — from much of 2022 and 2023, when Vlahovic’s reputation as one of Europe’s hottest talents was fast eroding. Juventus had acquired the Serbian hitman’s services during the January transfer window in 2022, beating serious competition from Arsenal and forking out €80 million. 

But Vlahovic struggled to reproduce the sort of form that saw him score 38 goals in 58 games across one and a half seasons before Juventus signed him. There was a growing feeling at the Turin-based club that the output was not living up to the price tag. By the 2023 summer window, the Italian powerhouse was courting wealthy clubs, hoping to recoup its investment.

Juventus even reportedly offered him to cash-splashing Chelsea in the hope of securing Romelu Lukaku. But with no club willing to part with the kind of money Juventus wanted, Vlahovic stayed put. And now many Juventus fans are thanking their lucky stars. 

The brace against Frosinone took Vlahovic’s Serie A tally this season to 15, second only to Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martinez. Even more impressively, they made Vlahovic the leading scorer in Europe’s top five leagues in 2024, his nine goals in seven Serie A games having no equal.

In addition to deciding matches — he also assisted Daniele Rugani’s stoppage-time winner against Frosinone — Vlahovic is looking like a leader at The Old Lady. He has scored 37% of Juventus’ goals this season; no one among Serie A’s top 10 scorers has a higher proportion. 

Vlahovic is also setting the tone for the supporters of a club struggling to keep pace in a title race. Juventus is second in the Serie A standings but trails Inter by a large margin. The Serbia international celebrated his first goal against Frosinone by placing his hand under his chin, as if to say the Bianconeri must hold their heads high and soldier on.