Torino have reportedly lined up a long-term contract with West Ham United loanee Nikola Vlasic ahead of plans to make his move permanent.
The attacking midfielder has been on loan with the Italian side this season and his performances in Serie A earned him a spot in Croatia’s World Cup squad. Vlasic has made four substitute appearances during Croatia’s run to the semi-finals in Qatar.
With Torino, Vlasic has started 14 consecutive Serie A matches after his substitute appearance on the opening day of the season at Monza. The West Ham loanee scored in three consecutive games versus Cremonese, Atalanta and Lecce and has a total of four goals and two assists so far.
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Unsurprisingly, Il Toro want to make Vlasic a permanent fixture in their squad and can do so with a €14.5million buy-out option at the end of the season. However, Tuttosport, via Sport Witness, claim that the Italian side will be looking to pay a lower fee as they look to sign Vlasic on a contract that will run until 2027.
West Ham signed former Everton midfielder Vlasic from CSKA Moscow in the summer of 2021, with the Croatian penning a five-year contract. But after just one goal in 36 appearances in all competitions last season, Vlasic was sent out to Torino on loan for the 2022/23 campaign.
Former Torino and Croatia striker Saša Bjelanović believes Vlasic has proved to be an excellent loan signing for Il Toro so far. He told Toro News : “I was curious to see how it would go in Italy, but I was also convinced that it would do well.
“I’ve known him since Hajduk Split and I know that he has qualities and characteristics suitable for Italian football and suitable for [Torino head coach] Ivan Juric. I’m happy that he’s proving to be an excellent signing for Torino."
Bjelanović added: “I think that, despite his young age, he has a lot of pace because he has been playing in major leagues for a long time. I don’t think he can improve further from a technical and physical point of view, but I think he still has margins from a tactical point of view.
“It is a player who does not yet have a precise role. Being flexible, the coaches have always moved him to the field. Juric knows him well and will find the right place for him on the pitch, as he has already done in recent months.”
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