"With Haaland and Mbappé, he is one of the best current center-forwards", assured the Turin coach Massimiliano Allegri when welcoming the Serbian jewel, a newcomer to a track with stars including the Norwegian gunner and the French world champion are already leaders.

The qualities of Vlahovic, Italy knows them: robustness, speed and address.

After shining at Fiorentina in the first half of the season (17 goals), he panicked in the winter transfer window to join Juve for more than 70 million euros, a record for a winter transaction in the Boot.

Scorer in his first game in bianconero on February 6 (2-0 against Verona), decisive in the quarter-finals of the Italian Cup a few days later (2-1 against Sassuolo), the Serb has already become indispensable, with this N .7 that Cristiano Ronaldo wore until last summer.

"The coach just told me to stay calm and everything would be fine," said the Serbian international (14 caps, 7 goals) after his successful debut.

"He must learn"

While emphasizing the way still to go: "Scoring is important, but I want to improve in all aspects of the game, in the game, in the marking."

Serbian striker Dusan Vlahovic with his Fiorentina colors before arriving at Juventus on November 6, 2021 at the Juve stadium in Turin, Italy Isabella BONOTTO AFP / Archives

Arrived at Fiorentina in 2018 from Partizan Belgrade, another team in the black and white striped jersey, he is aware of the expectations of a fairly harmless "Old lady" in the league (10th attack only) and threatened not to qualify for the C1 for the first time in 11 years.

If Vlahovic is the reinforcement that Juve "needed", he "still has to learn", however, recalls the demanding "Max" Allegri.

"Let's not forget that he comes from a team which certainly has a very good championship but only played once a week", he pointed out on Friday, after the draw against Torino (1-1) where Vlahovic suffered against the physical Brazilian defender Bremer.

"When you play every three days, you can't last playing only on the physical for 95 minutes, you need some technical management," he explained.

Do better than Ronaldo

Allegri was therefore careful not to put too much pressure on his young recruit: "We cannot put all the responsibilities on his back, because he needs a wealth of experience which he does not have".

Massimiliano Allegri the coach of Juventus on January 23, 2022 at the San Siro stadium in Milan Alberto PIZZOLI AFP / Archives

"When he has played 60, 70 matches, he will be a totally different player. It's not just a technical question, but also a psychological one, a question of pressure," he added on Monday.

But Vlahovic, who came to Juve to take a step, is not going to complain about playing twice a week, he whose only continental experience comes down to coming into play during a qualifying play-off for the Europa League in July 2016 with Partizan (he was 16).

Haaland, another native of the year 2000, has 19 C1 appearances for 23 goals.

"Vlahovic is synonymous with goals. All the goals he scores say a lot about his qualities, but above all his hunger for victories. He arrived at Juve starved to death," said the Villarreal technician. Unai Emery at a press conference on Monday.

If he will not be able to count in Villarreal on the passes of Paulo Dybala, package (thigh), Vlahovic will be able to rely on the European experience of Alvaro Morata, who on Monday welcomed the "enthusiasm" brought by the Serb.

"He brings only positive things. He has a wonderful career ahead of him. We hope he can score his first goal or goals in the Champions League," said the Spaniard, now shifted to the wing. to make room for "DV7".

With Cristiano Ronaldo, top scorer in the history of the Champions League, Juve had stalled for the past two seasons from the round of 16 in C1, against Lyon then FC Porto.

It is up to novice Vlahovic to make the Bianconeri star shine again.

© 2022 AFP