Dusan Vlahovic reportedly open to backup role at Barcelona as Juventus contract renewal talks stall

Throughout the 2025–26 season, Dušan Vlahović’s future has been a major topic, as his contract expires in June. Despite his numerous injuries, Juventus FC have attempted to renew his deal, but talks have reportedly stalled. With this in mind, the Serbian striker has reportedly decided to prioritize a move to Barcelona, becoming open to a backup role in order to secure his signing as a free agent.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Dušan Vlahović has decided to freeze his contract renewal with Juventus. Despite being open to reducing his salary to around €7 million per season, both parties have failed to reach an agreement due to issues related to commissions and signing bonuses. As a result, the Serbian striker has decided to prioritize a move to Barcelona, accepting a secondary role as a backup to Julián Álvarez if the transfer materializes.

Far from the Blaugranas being Vlahović’s only option, he has reportedly also offered himself as a backup to Harry Kane at Bayern Munich. Therefore, the striker’s future is far from decided, as it depends on whether either club makes a move for his signing. However, neither side has taken concrete steps for the Serbian yet, prioritizing the completion of other operations first. Because of this, the Vecchia Signora still have a chance to fight for his renewal.

After a highly inconsistent season in front of goal, Barcelona have reportedly decided to prioritize the signing of a world-class striker, with Julián Álvarez and João Pedro emerging as the chosen targets. Therefore, they will look to complete the arrival of one of those two forwards first, leaving the potential signing of Dušan Vlahović in the background, depending on the possible departure of Ferran Torres, something that still appears far from clear.

Dusan Vlahovic’s injuries and inconsistencies spark concern

Dušan Vlahović has failed to establish as a major star at Juventus. Although he made a huge impact at Fiorentina as a prolific goalscorer, the Serbian has not managed to recover that level over the past few seasons. Moreover, he is coming off a season filled with injuries, missing 24 matches with the Vecchia Signora. For this reason, his free-agent arrival raises serious doubts among Europe’s top clubs.

Despite being considered a major market opportunity, the Serbian star is reportedly demanding a salary of €7M per season along with a signing bonus. Because of this, Vlahović would become one of the highest-paid players at whichever club he joins, despite not coming off his best seasons. In addition, Dušan has also failed to prove as a player capable of consistently performing at a top European club, as his inconsistency at Juventus raises serious doubts.

With this in mind, Barcelona might opt to re-sign Ferran Torres as a backup, as he has proven capable of making an impact on the team. Similarly, Bayern Munich might look for a player with Bundesliga experience. For this reason, Dušan Vlahović doesn’t have many good options on the market, leaving his potential move to AC Milan as a strong possibility—or waiting for one of his two preferred clubs to sign their star players first and then consider bringing him in.