MY ACCOUNT
Fiorentina director Joe Barone insisted the club will not increase their offer to wantaway star Dusan Vlahovic as he called for respect.
Vlahovic is set to leave Fiorentina after opting against signing a new deal in Florence, with the Serbia international’s current contract expiring in June 2023.
The 21-year-old – who has a league-high 15 goals this term – has been linked to Serie A champions Inter, Juventus, Premier League holders Manchester City, Manchester United, Bundesliga winners Bayern Munich, LaLiga titleholders Atletico Madrid, Tottenham and Arsenal.
Amid the growing speculation, Vlahovic has continued to flourish for Fiorentina in Serie A this season.
Vlahovic (32) is only the third player in the last 60 years to have scored more than 30 Serie A goals in a single calendar year, after Cristiano Ronaldo (33 in 2020) and Luca Toni (31 in 2005).
He is also the first Fiorentina player to have found the net in five consecutive Serie A appearances since Alberto Gilardino in 2008, while Vlahovic is the youngest player to have scored at least 15 goals in his club’s first 17 Serie A seasonal matches since Altafini and Antonio Valentin Angelillo, both in the 1958-59 campaign.
But Fiorentina have no plans to raise their contract offer, according to Barone.
“We made our proposal and it will not change. Both Dusan and his agents did not accept,” Barone told Mediaset prior to Wednesday’s Coppa Italia win over Benevento.
“People ought to have recognition for an environment that gave them so much.
“Our proposal increased and increased, but at a certain point we had to set a limit.
“This club used to have €90million revenue and now after COVID and various other issues, it’s around €72m, so we must take that into account.
“There are limits, there must be respect for the group and there are areas where Fiorentina simply cannot go.”
