Liverpool and Dusan Vlahovic: likelihood, how he’d fit and the potential cost

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Liverpool want Dusan Vlahovic, according to reports. How likely is it, though? And how would the striker fit in at Anfield?

La Nazione is the latest outlet to report that Liverpool want Dusan Vlahovic. They name them alongside a host of clubs, including three more from the Premier League.

They name a price, too – around £60m to get a deal done in either January or the summer.

Is Dusan Vlahovic to Liverpool likely?

This is one a little hard to gauge. On the one hand, it’s very possible as Vlahovic has quite publicly turned down a contract offer from Fiorentina.

That presents everyone – including Liverpool – with a golden opportunity. La Viola pretty much have to sell or risk losing Vlahovic for nothing in 2023.

The big question is whether Vlahovic is worth that £60m.

On last season’s form, absolutely. The Serbian, who’s still only 21, exploded into life and finished the season with 21 goals. Nearly all of them came between December and May – Vlahovic couldn’t stop scoring.

But it was really just a six or seven-month spell. It’s not a great sample size.

Vlahovic does have four goals in eight Serie A games this season but three of those were penalties. He’s not quite operating as the same prolific striker (15 of his 21 were from open play last season), though he is creating a little more for teammates.

Perhaps he’s just finding his feet, then. Maybe he needs to learn how to score with more attention on him.

Either way, we can’t see Liverpool paying £60m to sign Vlahovic unless he recaptures his form quite quickly.

How would he fit in?

Liverpool could use a traditional no.9 to add a new dimension to the attack. You can argue that the Reds don’t necessarily need someone to play as a False 9 going forward, either, as both Harvey Elliott and Curtis Jones can operate as more attacking midfielders.

Thus Vlahovic could be a wonderful target and change for Liverpool. He’s tall, physical but agile enough to run at defenders and play on the counter-attack. Jurgen Klopp could well see him as a Robert Lewandowski-type striker.

So while Vlahovic doesn’t necessarily fit in with Liverpool’s current system, there is room for a change in the long term. That’s the ‘fit’, then – a player who adds another dimension in the short-term and can be a focal point for the next era.

And if Vlahovic recaptures his goalscoring form, that could be well worth £60m.