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Dusan Vlahovic joins Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland as “the best players of their generation”, according to Juventus head coach Massimiliano Allegri.
Allegri signed Serbia international Vlahovic from Fiorentina in January in a transfer initially worth €70million, and the striker has managed four goals in his first seven Serie A games for his new club.
The former Viola star also netted 33 times in the league in 2021, matching Cristiano Ronaldo’s record for the most scored in the Italian top flight during a calendar year.
Indeed, his 21-goal league haul last season was the highest recorded by a Fiorentina player in a single campaign since Alberto Gilardino in 2008-09 (25), and he has carried that form into the new campaign as well.
Vlahovic has registered 21 goals across appearances for Juve and Fiorentina in Serie A this season, making him the league’s joint-top scorer – level with Ciro Immobile – while only Robert Lewandowski (31) and Karim Benzema (22) have scored more in Europe’s top-five leagues.
Haaland, who has been limited by injuries at Borussia Dortmund, is ninth in the same list with 16 Bundesliga goals, striking once every 81 minutes on average, while Paris Saint-Germain’s Mbappe is 11th with 15 to his name in the French top flight.
Allegri hailed the youthful trio as he expressed his excitement to see Vlahovic develop more.
“He is a young player with not much international experience. But he has quality. He wants and can improve. He has time to do it,” Allegri said of Vlahovic in an interview with GQ, as quoted by CalcioMercato.
“He is ruthless in front of the goal and Juventus made an important signing. He, Mbappe and Haaland are the best players of their generation.”
While there were expectations that Vlahovic’s arrival may knock Alvaro Morata down the pecking order of Juve strikers, Allegri reiterated that the Spain international remains integral to his plans in Turin.
“I called him that night [when Juve signed Vlahovic] to tell him: ‘You are going nowhere, with him, you will become even more important,’ and that’s what happened,” Allegri added on Morata.
“It’s crazy to question Morata. He can’t be at his best if he is asked to do things that he can’t. But he’s always been available playing in a position which is not exactly the best one for him.”
Allegri will be hoping for Morata and Vlahovic to link-up once more when Juve, who are fourth in Serie A and seven points adrift of leaders Milan, host Inter on Sunday.
