Newcastle United are considering a summer transfer bid for Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic, who would likely garner a mouth-watering fee.
What's the latest on Dusan Vlahovic to Newcastle?
Switching Florence for Turin in January 2022, Vlahovic completed his £66.6m move to the Old Lady with a weight of expectation and has been of interest to some of Europe's most prominent outfits after an emphatic start to life in the Serie A.
Eddie Howe's Magpies are 'mulling' over a swoop, and according to 90min, might look to take advantage of the player's desire to move to the Premier League.
Previous reports have touted the Serbian sharpshooter as high as £96m, which could well deter all but the select few of football's most opulent sides from making a move.
Should Newcastle sign Dusan Vlahovic?
When Vlahovic signed for Juventus, he was one of the most touted and prolific young strikers in European football, but he has not quite reached the desired heights thus far in Turin.
And while the 23-year-old is still a top talent, given the exorbitant fees that have been thrown around and the striker's indifferent form in front of goal over the past few seasons, parting with a fee nearing £100m would be simply ludicrous for Howe and co, despite PIF's limitless wealth.
After scoring 29 goals and supplying six assists last year, having joined Juventus from Fiorentina at the midpoint, the ace boasts only 13 strikes and four assists from 38 matches this term, though he has started just 31 times.
As per FBref, Vlahovic ranks only among the top 42% of strikers across Europe's big five leagues for rate of non-penalty goals per 90, with his expected goals (xG) metric also illustrating his profligacy in front of goal, ranking among the top 30% of positional peers for non-penalty xG per 90.
A further stumbling block lies in the ace's wages, with Vlahovic reportedly taking home £220k-per-week. For reference, the Toon's £63m club-record signing Alexander Isak, who has scored ten goals and served two assists from just 14 matches and ranks among the top 8% of positional peers for rate of non-penalty goals, boasts only £120k-per-week.
Hailed as a "monster" by journalist Carlo Garganese, Vlahovic boasts a skill set worthy of leading the line for many outfits chasing silver-laden success, but with the Magpies on the rise and requiring a meticulous approach on the transfer front to cement their newfound stature at the forefront of English football, signing the Old Lady frontman for such a high fee would not be an auspicious move.