Dusan Vlahovic is still hoping for Barcelona: will that let Besiktas’s mega offer slip through his fingers? | Goal.com

Published on 02 Aug 2026 | Reading time: 3 minutes

Spanish newspaper Sport reports that Vlahovic has already had a lucrative offer from Besiktas on the table for weeks, one that would bring him a signing-on fee of a good five million euros and a two-year contract with an annual salary of a hefty eight million euros.

According to Sport, the striker is hesitating because he is still dreaming of a move to Barcelona. The Spanish champions still want to sign a successor this summer for Robert Lewandowski, who has departed for Chicago Fire. Their top target is Julian Alvarez, but his current club Atletico Madrid are by no means willing to sell. At least not for the 100 million euro fee Barca are believed to have already offered.

Barca have kept a list of Alvarez alternatives in reserve, and Vlahovic is said to be on it. The 26-year-old's advisers are said to have actively offered him to Barca weeks ago, although the Blaugrana made it clear that a potential move for Vlahovic was by no means a priority. Presumably, the Serb would not be the first alternative if they fail in their efforts to sign Alvarez. Higher up the list could instead be Benfica goalscorer Vangelis Pavlidis, whom AS recently linked with Barcelona.

That hope of a move to Barca, which as things stand is likely to go unfulfilled in the end, means Vlahovic is of course risking the lucrative offer from Istanbul slipping through his fingers. Besiktas are still said to be remaining patient and to have agreed to give the Serbia international a little more time to think.

Behind that is Vincenzo Italiano, the new coach of the Turkish top club. The Italian once worked successfully with Vlahovic at Fiorentina (2021/22 season) and rates his qualities very highly. According to Sport , Italiano has therefore urged the Besiktas hierarchy to wait a little longer for Vlahovic's decision.

At times, the powerful number nine had also been linked with Bayern Munich, but right now, aside from the Barca dream, Besiktas appear to be the only serious option for Vlahovic's future. Juventus, where his contract had expired at the end of June, are said to have offered him an extension after all in the meantime, albeit on significantly reduced terms. Vlahovic turned it down and appears to have finally burned his bridges with Juve, so a stay in Turin is therefore very unlikely.

Back in 2022, Vlahovic, then one of Europe's most sought-after centre-forwards, moved from Florence to Turin for a fee of around 85 million euros. Things rarely went quite as well as hoped for him with the Bianconeri afterwards, which is why there was repeated speculation about a move. Last season, Vlahovic sometimes lost his regular starting place and was also forced to miss a long spell through injury from the beginning of December until the middle of April. In the final phase of the season, he ultimately hit top form once again, scoring four goals in the last four Serie A matches.

Even so, Juventus were not desperate to keep Vlahovic, who scored 68 times in 168 appearances for the Italian record champions. With Randal Kolo Muani, whom they had already borrowed from PSG in the 2024/25 season, a high-class replacement appears to be ready and waiting. Juve are apparently set to take the former Frankfurt player on loan again initially, this time including an obligation to buy.

Read the original news