Juventus have finally accepted the inevitable: Dusan Vlahovic's time in Turin is winding down. The Serbian striker, once heralded as the heir to a lin...
Juventus have finally accepted the inevitable: Dusan Vlahovic's time in Turin is winding down. The Serbian striker, once heralded as the heir to a line of great number nines, has never fully convinced at the Allianz Stadium. His hold up play is clunky, his touch can desert him in tight spaces, and his finishing, while occasionally clinical, lacks the consistent venom required to lead the line for a club of Juventus's stature. The Bianconeri are therefore deep in the market for a replacement, and according to GoalZaza, they have cast a wide net that now includes Paris Saint Germain's Randal Kolo Muani.Kolo Muani is a fascinating target. He possesses that rare blend of raw pace and technical comfort in transitional play that could transform Juventus's attacking shape. But here is the twist that makes this story genuinely intriguing: the pursuit of Kolo Muani does not shut the door on Alexander Sorloth of Atletico Madrid. That is a crucial detail, and one that tells us a great deal about the thinking inside Juventus's recruitment department.Why hold two irons in the fire when the profiles are so different Because Thiago Motta, the man now pulling the strings in the dugout, demands tactical flexibility. Kolo Muani offers movement, runs in behind, and the ability to stretch a low block. Sorloth offers height, strength, and a presence in the box that Juve have missed since the days of a prime Mario Mandzukic. One is a scalpel, the other is a sledgehammer. Which one does Motta want for the long haul The answer, it seems, is either, depending on the opponent. The club is not backing itself into a corner. They want both options on the table until the last possible moment.For Sorloth, the path is complicated. Atletico Madrid paid a significant fee to bring him from Villarreal, and he has shown only flickers of his best form under Diego Simeone. His hold up play is strong, his aerial duels are a weapon, but his finishing can be maddeningly inconsistent. Sound familiar It should. That is exactly the criticism levelled at Vlahovic. Yet Sorloth offers something Vlahovic did not: a genuine willingness to run the channels and sacrifice his own game for the team. That selflessness could endear him to Motta, a coach who values collective structure over individual brilliance.Meanwhile, the Kolo Muani situation at PSG is a cautionary tale. Signed for a fortune, he has never quite fit the jigsaw puzzle at the Parc des Princes. Luis Enrique's system demands a fluid false nine, not a direct runner in behind. Kolo Muani is a square peg in a round hole, and everyone can see it. Juventus are circling like a wise old shark. They know a player of his quality, when properly deployed, could be a revelation in Serie A. But they also know the price tag will be substantial.What does all this mean for the fan who has watched Juventus stumble through a season of frustration It means the club has finally learned its lesson. No more pinning all hopes on one marquee name who then fails to deliver. This time, they are chasing two very different solutions to the same problem. It is pragmatic. It is smart. And it suggests that for all the noise around the Vlahovic exit, the real drama is only just beginning. Squeaky bum time indeed.
