West Ham given hope of Dusan Vlahovic transfer after £5m Paolo Di Canio suggestion
West Ham could have the perfect chance to sign Dusan Vlahovic from Juventus in the view of Paolo Di Canio.
The Serbia international has been linked with a London Stadium switch in the past as the need for a prolific striker continued.
Taty Castellanos and Pablo signed for the Irons in January and have helped to change the feeling around the forward line in East London.
That may not stop Nuno Espirito Santo and Co. from returning to the market to make a new number nine signing.
Vlahovic could be the man for the Hammers, especially after what Di Canio had to say about the Juventus man.
Paolo Di Canio speaks out on Dusan Vlahovic transfer
The 26-year-old was once seen as one of the most deadly forwards in Italy when he netted 49 goals in just over three years at Fiorentina.
That has extended into certain spells at Juventus, although he is yet to score over 20 goals in a campaign for the Old Lady, but has tallied 90 Serie A goals.
He is now approaching the end of his contract at Allianz Stadium, and there is a question of where he could land ahead of the new season.
West Ham legend Di Canio believes the Serb will be leaving the Italian giants, suggesting his wage demands could hamper his ability to join a top-level side.
Speaking via Bianconeranews, he said: “Vlahovic is leaving, let’s prepare today. Maybe he understands that at the end of the year, given what he’s done at a great level, even on a free transfer, but with the salary he has, and he’s not asking for a million, who will take him?
“Unless he goes to England, where a mid-table team, because they have the name, will give him €8-10million, which they can spend. West Ham pays €6m (£5.2m) for their players without any problem.”
Did Di Canio disrespect West Ham with Vlahovic comments?
The 57-year-old made 118 appearances in claret and blue and goes down as one of the biggest icons in East London.
That may not protect him from the Hammers faithful, suggesting that his comments about Vlahovic’s future are disrespectful.
It appears that Di Canio is saying a top team won’t take on the striker, but a move to the Premier League could be possible because even West Ham can pay better salaries than Italian sides.
| Juventus player | Reported weekly wage | West Ham player | Reported weekly wage |
| Dusan Vlahovic | £368,000 | Jarrod Bowen | £150,000 |
| Jonathan David | £184,000 | Alphonse Areola | £120,000 |
| Bremer | £153,000 | Max Kilman | £100,000 |
| Lois Openda | £116,000 | Aaron Wan-Bissaka | £90,000 |
| Francisco Conceicao | £101,000 | Tomas Soucek | £90,000 |
The Hammers wagebook doesn’t even compare to Juventus’, so the comments feel somewhat misplaced.
That doesn’t come across particularly well and could be taken the wrong way, so it is disappointing to hear that from such an E20 club legend.
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