Dusan Vlahovic - "Bigger talent" than Haaland and destined for club like Arsenal

Arsenal's fanbase have long dabbled in analysing every move a transfer target makes to determine whether they will be heading to the Emirates and the Dusan Vlahovic saga is no different.

The Serbia international bagged a delightful lobbed effort while also missing a penalty for Fiorentina on Monday night with his future up in the air.

But as his time in Italy potentially nears its end, it's important to analyse where it all began for a 21-year-old that has since been courted by the likes of Real Madrid, Juventus and of course the Gunners.

Vlahovic made his senior football debut in his home country with Serbian giants FK Partizan, breaking a number of club records in the process.

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Mirror Football caught up with Partizan's sporting director Ivica Iliev to discuss how Vlahovic was seemingly always destined for the top.

"His individual quality was strong and even in that moment we all said that he would be something special you know. I think at the age of 16 he showed us that he had really, really big talent," Iliev recalled.

"In that moment, in 2016 I remember one of the biggest scouts from one of the biggest clubs in the world came here to speak about our academy and he said that in his age group and in his position he is the biggest talent in the world."

High praise but hardly misguided, the striker was handed his first professional contract with Partizan aged 15 and swiftly went on to become the both the youngest debutant and goal-scorer in the club's history.

Iliev conceded he feels Vlahovic could have stayed at the club for a year or two longer and set the Serbian outfit up for years with what would have been a huge transfer fee.

"I told him, he knows I told him I said 'I'm really sorry but for me, you need to stay here two or three years more to be the biggest transfer ever in the history of Serbian football," he added.

"We knew his potential was top of the top, one of the best in the world.

"Even now I think he is only at 60 or 70 percent of his potential."

Before he upped sticks to Italy in 2018, Vlahovic showed such signs of early promise in the Serbian SuperLiga. It seems even then Arsene Wenger'sArsenal were keeping tabs on the striker.

Records seemingly tumble every time Vlahovic laces his boots, the Fiorentina star equalled Cristiano Ronaldo's Serie A record for goals in a calendar year in 2021 after notching 33.

As a result, interest from far and wide has appeared and staying in Florence beyond this season looks increasingly unlikely.

If it were up to Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta, he'd be on the next flight to north London as soon as possible but negotiations with Vlahovic's agent are proving more difficult than first feared.

Iliev discussed what he thinks the next chapter should be for a budding superstar that he helped developed and cited Arsenal as an ideal place for Vlahovic to continue to grow.

"I hope, for the moment at a club where there is not too much competition, a club who will give him space - for example, I think Arsenal is one of these clubs," he claimed.

"I am waiting for the moment he signs for a top top club, for me it is normal that every top club in the world wants him, I think the whole of Europe wants him, now I hope that he will sign for the best club for his career.

"He needs to choose the best place for his career because he is still so young and has a lot of years in front of him to improve and become one of the biggest and best strikers in the world."

Iliev beamed with pride as he discussed one of the most exciting players to emerge from his club in the last two decades and even gave quite a bold prediction over the kind of company Vlahovic will be keeping throughout his career.

"I always watch him and think [he's like] Erling Haaland from Borussia Dortmund, maybe now in this moment Haaland is stronger physically but believe me, technically Vlahovic is the better player.

"He can play like a second striker; you have more options with him than with Haaland and these two players will be head-to-head until the end of their careers."

Arsenal fans will be jumping for joy if they can secure the signature of a man ready to battle it out with a goal machine like Haaland, especially given the Gunners current struggles up front.

With former captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in exile and both of Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah seemingly heading for the Emirates exit, the stage is set for Vlahovic to back up the claims of a fellow former Partizan star in north London.