Arsenal have been told they have missed out on the signing of ‘the next Cristiano Ronaldo ’ by Pavel Nedved.
The Juventus chief was referring to Dusan Vlahovic, who made the switch from Fiorentina to Turin in January.
That was despite the advances of the Gunners, who had made signing a striker a priority in the winter transfer window.
Vlahovic emerged as the top target with Mikel Arteta and Edu Gaspar huge fans of the Serbia international and bids were prepared.
Despite making several pleas to the striker, the 22-year-old had no interest in moving to the Emirates while there were plenty of clubs in for his signature.
As well as Arsenal, Tottenham and Barcelona were also eyeing a move for the former Partizan star, but he had only sights for Juventus.
In the end, the Old Lady prised him away from Fiorentina in a transfer worth just under £63million and he has already made a big impact.
So much so, that Juve vice-chairman Nedved has compared the forward to their old hitman Ronaldo.
Ahead of Vlahovic’s return to Fiorentina in the Coppa Italia semi-final, Nedved said: “Nothing is easy in football. We always have objectives throughout the season. Seeing as we are in the semi-final, we are close to the final and to the objective in this tournament.
“Everyone knows how difficult it is to play at the Stadio Franchi, as the fans here really feel the tension of the game.
“It’s a pity we are missing nine players, but we have faith in our squad and have a very, very young team this evening. It’s a real test, although a semi-final is not a test for Juventus, it is a cup to be won.
“I’ll be honest, Vlahovic surprised me too. There are comparisons to some of the tops like Cristiano Ronaldo.
“I knew he was a very good player, but he was born in 2000 and if he continues with this mentality, he can really do great things.
“I am convinced the future belongs to him. He is really intelligent, knows how to prepare for games, is very humble and that is so important for a player to become a champion. He really is on the right track.
“It is really nice when these young players who are hungry and humble come to ask you for advice. You feel useful.”
Arsenal remain interested in signing a striker ahead of the summer transfer window after missing out on Vlahovic.
The likes of Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Alexander Isak have been linked but much might depend on whether Arteta can land the Gunners a spot in the top four with the Champions League within their grasp.
