Not Barca, not Arsenal, not Madrid: this is the club Dusan Vlahovic is joining

For months Dusan Vlahovic was linked with Europe's biggest clubs after it became clear he would leave Juventus for nothing when his contract expired. FC Barcelona, Arsenal, Manchester United, Atlético Madrid and Real Madrid were all mentioned, but the Serbian striker will continue his career at Besiktas.

Agreement reached with Vlahovic

According to Fabrizio Romano, Besiktas and Vlahovic have a verbal agreement and the transfer is close to completion. The 26-year-old arrives in Istanbul as a free agent, so the Turkish club will not pay a transfer fee. Romano used his familiar "here we go" line, meaning only the usual formalities remain.

A three-year deal

Under the agreement Vlahovic will sign a three-year contract until June 2029. The Turkish club are already arranging his travel, with a medical and the signing to follow. Besiktas are therefore adding a striker with a market value of €35 million at no transfer cost, and at 26 he should on paper be entering his best years.

Barca, Arsenal and Real Madrid were all mentioned

Speculation about Vlahovic's future ran for a long time. Arsenal's interest is a particularly old story, with the English club linked to him in previous windows, while Barcelona and Real Madrid have both been mentioned as destinations in recent months. What made the situation so interesting was that his Juventus contract had expired, so he could be signed without a fee. In the end it was an offer from Turkey that he accepted.

A major coup for Besiktas

For Besiktas, signing Vlahovic is one of the summer's biggest deals. The Serbian striker joined Juventus from Fiorentina in January 2022 and was the most recognisable name in their attack in recent years. Now his time in Italy is coming to an end: if the medical raises no issues, he will be a Besiktas player for three years.