Dušan Vlahović leaves Juventus as a free agent at the end of the month, after the club and the striker failed to find common ground for a new contract. This week's negotiations were decisive - and ended without compromise.

The Serbia international's contract expires on 30 June, ending a four-and-a-half-year stay in Turin. In January 2022 Juventus paid more than 80 million euros to bring him from Fiorentina and saw him as a long-term centre-forward. The bill, as often happens with expensive signings, did not work out as expected.

The numbers are not bad: 68 goals in 168 matches across all competitions. But his last season was cut short by a serious muscle injury in November, surgery and a break of more than four months - in the end only 23 appearances. He returned strongly toward the close, but the contract was already at a dead end.

The Italian media claim Vlahović's wage demands far exceeded what Juventus was prepared to offer. Director Giorgio Chiellini did not hide his disappointment, but he did not hide where the matter got stuck either.

„I am sad because I wanted Dušan to stay since he cares about our club. But he is asking for a higher salary. With the current wage terms, he will not stay in Italy," Chiellini said - a sentence that practically confirmed the departure and hinted that the next destination is outside Serie A.

And there is no shortage of interest. According to reports, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Newcastle and Barcelona have already made contact with his agents. Napoli is also mentioned, especially after the arrival of Massimiliano Allegri, who worked with Vlahović precisely in Turin. One of the summer's most attractive free agents is unlikely to be left without an offer.

For Juventus, the familiar Balkan scenario remains in a different costume: a big investment, a big announcement, and in the end a player who leaves for free. Now the „old lady" enters the market once again to look for a striker - and the money invested in Vlahović will not come back.