SERIE A
Vlahovic: Juventus 'an easy choice' despite Fiorentina fans' anger
To the dismay of Fiorentina fans, Dusan Vlahovic dismissed rival interest to join Juventus, but he is delighted with his decision.
Dusan Vlahovic is "emotional and proud" to have signed for Juventus, declaring the move an "easy" decision despite rival interest and backlash from Fiorentina fans.
Vlahovic moved from Fiorentina to Juve for €75million in the biggest deal of the January transfer window.
The 17-goal striker – tied with Ciro Immobile at the top of Serie A's scoring charts – was said to have turned down approaches from Arsenal and Newcastle United before heading for Turin.
That was a call that frustrated Fiorentina supporters, who have grown used to seeing their top players poached by rivals Juve.
Fiorentina fans: Vlahovic "another small man without b****"
The Curva Fiesole group described Vlahovic as "another small man without b****, without honour and without respect" and "a coward" for joining the Bianconeri.
Presented as a Juve player on Tuesday, however, Vlahovic was delighted with his choice.
"I am emotional and proud to have signed for Juventus," he said. "I am ready to give my all for this glorious club to reach its objectives.
"The choice was easy. The Juventus DNA: the desire to fight, to never give up, to aim to be the best – all these elements are also part of my character. I fit in here.
"I want to the thank the president and everyone else who made this move possible."
Still, Vlahovic had a word for Fiorentina, adding: "I want to thank everyone at Fiorentina who helped me mature and make me the player I am today."
The 22-year-old was the most sought-after forward last month, but fellow superstars Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland are expected to be on the move later in the year.
As Vlahovic seemingly emerges as a challenger to those two as his generation's top talent, he said: "I am following my own path. How far I'll reach, I don't know, but I'll give my all to achieve as much as possible."