Fiorentina president Rocco Commisso has lashed out at Dusan Vlahovic’s agents as tensions in the striker’s ongoing transfer saga ramped up.
Vlahovic is the subject of transfer interest from Arsenal this month, with the Gunners looking to bolster their attacking options.
Mikel Arteta is keen to sign a new striker, with Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah out of contract in the summer and the future of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in doubt after he was stripped of the captaincy.
Vlahovic is an attractive option, having scored 18 goals in 22 appearances for Fiorentina so far this season, as well as 21 goals in 37 Serie A games in the 2020/21 campaign.
The 21-year-old Serbia international is under contract with the Italian side until June 2023 but has so far resisted the offer of a new deal.
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Fiorentina have been locked in negotiations with Vlahovic’s agents for some time and the club’s outspoken owner Commisso is growing increasingly frustrated with the situation.
The billionaire, who owns cable television company Mediacom, has given an interview with the Financial Times , he which he admits the club are “under active considerations as to what to do” with Vlahovic.
“The more I live here, with this crazy sport, the more I realise how screwed up it is,” Commisso told the FT, adding that he won’t be “screwed by players”.
According to the newspaper, Commisso’s annoyance stems from the fact that Vlahovic’s agency, International Sports Office, want an €8m (£6.67m) fee just to renew the player’s contract with Fiorentina.
Meanwhile, they are also demanding 10 per cent of any future transfer fee from both Fiorentina and a buying club.
Commisso revealed last year that Fiorentina had offered Vlahovic a five-year contract worth €40m (£34.5m), which would make him the highest-paid player in the club’s history.
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Speaking to reporters back in September, the 72-year-old revealed his fury with football’s transfer system.
“We’ve been working on it for months, some days are more positive than others,” he said.
“I speak to Dusan and he says he’s only focusing on the pitch and I should talk to his agents, then I talk to his agents and they say I have to speak to the player.
“His agent should come to Florence, he is the one doing the negotiations. What I will say is that this would be the highest salary ever given to a Fiorentina player, including Gabriel Batistuta and Manuel Rui Costa.”
Arsenal are ready to take advantage of the contract stand-off in Florence, but will have to pay a club-record fee to land Vlahovic.
According to the Independent, the Gunners are ready to pay the £75m asking price, although complications remain due to the fact Fiorentina are insisting it must be in one lump sum this month.
Arsenal spent over £150m to bring in six new players over the summer transfer window and have never paid a single fee more than the £72m paid to Lille for Nicolas Pepe in 2019.
