Key Takeaways:
- Dušan Vlahović stated there were no substantive negotiations over a contract renewal before his Juventus deal expired
- The Serbian striker has since joined Beşiktaş, signing a three-year contract with an annual gross salary of €9.38 million
- Juventus were seeking to cut their wage bill, offering Vlahović €6 million per annum, while he requested nearly €8 million; his 2025/26 wage would have approached €12 million
Vlahović Sets Record Straight on Juventus Negotiations
In a development contradicting comments made by former Juventus CEO Damien Comolli last season, Dušan Vlahović has insisted that no real contract discussions took place with the club before his contract expired at the end of last summer.
Comolli previously declared in late May that the club’s desire was to retain the Serbian forward but claimed Vlahović requested talks be postponed until season’s end: “We would like to continue [with Vlahović], how I don’t know. He told us, let’s meet at the end of the season. That’s it.”
"I spoke to the board of directors only towards the end of last season, and after it had finished. The last time we spoke was on June 2; that conversation ended without an agreement, and since then, there has been no contact with Juventus.
There was a lot of talk that I had set… pic.twitter.com/AeDM1dV3Ea
— Forza Juve | 𝑒𝑛. (@theFJEN) September 3, 2026
Speaking to Serbian media, Vlahović detailed his experience, asserting that only informal talks about a renewal were exchanged. He explained, “For three years it has been written that I was refusing a renewal, but the only truth is that I have not had any concrete discussions with the club about it. There were only comments like, ‘We should talk about your contract,’ ‘Maybe you should renew, sign a new contract,’ but everything remained at that level. There were no concrete talks, in which we sat down and discussed it.” Vlahović also reflected on the negative impact this speculation had on his relationship with Juventus supporters.
He further clarified, “While every day there was talk and emphasis on renewing my contract with Juventus, I never had a single concrete conversation with the club’s management. This is the only truth. I only spoke to the CEO towards the end of last season and after it was over. The last time we spoke was on June 2nd: that conversation ended without an agreement and there has been no contact with Juventus since then. There was a lot of talk about me setting different conditions, but that wasn’t true. And the injury certainly didn’t help my situation.”
Contract Details and Juventus’ Financial Strategy
Following the expiration of his Juventus contract, the 26-year-old striker signed a three-year agreement with Turkish side Beşiktaş, earning a gross annual wage of €9.38 million.
Juventus, meanwhile, had been focused on trimming their wage bill and proposed a new contract worth €6 million per season. Vlahović countered with a request for nearly €8 million per year, and his salary for the 2025/26 campaign would have reached almost €12 million. The club’s inability to meet these terms contributed to the stalemate.
Injury Frustrations and On-Pitch Impact
In addition to financial disagreements, Vlahović acknowledged that injury concerns hampered both negotiations and his performance. He revealed, “I started the season on the bench for a well-known reason: because I was entering the final year of my contract. Sure, two new strikers had also arrived, but, in my opinion, that was the only reason I started the season on the bench. Then I started playing again and at that point Spalletti arrived, whom I want to thank for everything he did for me last year and for wanting me to stay at Juventus. The injury stopped me at a really good time and my whole season just went up in smoke.”
