If there’s a single positive that Fiorentina can draw out from a largely frustrating campaign in Serie A its the rise and superb form of their 21-year-old wonderkid forward, a player formerly known in some quarters as the Very Large Teen, is Serbian striker Dusan Vlahovic.
In more ways than some, Vlahovic’s trajectory over the past year has been the polar opposite of Fiorentina’s. While the club have flat-lined into a complete demise both on the pitch and on the managerial front, the 21-year-old’s credibility and standing amongst the some of the elite young forwards in Europe has risen considerably.
Fresh off scoring his second international goal for his country, and becoming such a matured and complete forward just as many have expected he would all along. It’s only right, the rest of Europe have finally taken notice of his unique and predatory instincts within his role and personal acumen.
Arsenal, AC Milan, Roma, Tottenham Hotspur, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid are all rumoured to be interested in investing in the player’s future which makes perfect sense, as to the almost strange comparisons to arguably Europe’s most hottest property right now, Erling Braut Haaland.
21 goals and 3 assists from 34 Serie A starts for Fiorentina, Vlahović is among the leading marksmen in Serie A for goals, but not only that, his sheer desire and passion when performing is certainly of a unique and hugely promising style.
Vlahović has forced his way into the Serbia National team spotlight, almost pushing Luka Jovic out of the picture in the process. Where many thought Jovic could singlehandedly take the country to the next level, Vlahovic has made his own case for the limelight, and he’s reaping his rewards so far.
So what’s the narrative on Dušan Vlahović? How has he risen to such huge acclaim so early in his career?
Who is Dušan Vlahović?
At 21 years old, Dušan Vlahović has been one of the leading lights of Fiorentina’s youth revolution. Born in Belgrade, the Serbian attacker was also highly rated as a youngster, signing his first professional contract with FK Partizan when he was just 15-years-old.
He was brought into the first team and given the number nine shirt when at just the tender age of 16, make of that what you will, Vlahović was considered a serious prodigy even then.
From there, his progress has been rapid plus his list of personal achievements stacking up too: becoming the youngest debutant in the club’s history, youngest player to feature in the Eternal Derby against FK Crvena Zvezda, youngest scorer in the club’s history and last but not least, scoring in both the semi-final and final as Partizan won the prestigious Serbian Cup.
It did not take long, for top scouts around Europe to stand up and take notice, though Partizan were determined to keep hold of their prized asset for as long as they could. But their resistance did not last long, and eventually wavered when the following summer a deal was agreed for the Serbian forward to join Fiorentina, albeit on his 18th birthday in January 2018.
Fiorentian’s sporting director Pantaleo Corvino, had something of a reputation for signing young Balkan players, with Nikola Milenkovic making a similar move from Belgrade to Florence in the same season. Former Manchester City defender Matija Nastasic also made the same move years earlier.
Upon his arrival in Florence, Dušan Vlahović somewhat found himself on the fringes of the first team picture. He featured for both the Primavera side and occasionally featuring in the first team, but his importance within the club progressively grew. Fiorentina have suffered a tumultuous few years on the managerial front with Stefano Pioli failing to impress, followed by Vicenzo Montella’s disastrous return and the appointment of Guiseppe Iachini.
However, the now-departed Prandelli decided to put his faith in the 21-year-old Serbian this campaign, and the clinical forward rewarded the coach for his faith in him. Though that faith has ended abruptly with Prandelli choosing to depart the club for personal reasons in March.
Though, you’d back Vlahović to carry on his fine form for the remainder of the 2020/21 campaign, and that he has with such devastating aplomb.
What is Vlahović’s style of play?
One of the first striking elements of Dušan Vlahović’s characteristics is his striking size. At 6’3”, he stands quite literally, head and shoulders above others, especially some defenders who are tasked with taming him during a game. This has all the makings of a familiar fairytale story when it comes to young prodigy’s especially strikers, that their size immediately strikes fear into their opponents.
Like Erling Braut Haaland, Dušan Vlahović is built of a similar ilk.
First thing you must take into consideration when analysing Dušan Vlahović’s game, is that just because he is of an imposing figure does not make him those stereotypical ‘big man up front’ calibre of strikers, like a Olivier Giroud, Romelu Lukaku or an Edinson Cavani. He is hugely effective when it comes to a direct approach, however his game isn’t merely confined to it. There’s more to Dušan Vlahović than meets the eye.
Rather than holding up the ball and bring a more dynamic player into play, Vlahović is often the dynamic forward creating opportunities out of nothing for Fiorentina. That’s not to say he can hold up the ball and link-up with his teammates, he is brilliant in that aspect. However, his game is more centred around him picking up possession in between the lines of play and linking with the likes of Frank Ribery or Christian Kouamé, leaving space for another runner in behind, while also being more than capable of moving into wider positions to the same end.
For most of the campaign, Fiorentina have opted for a 3-5-2 system, with Vlahović and Ribery as the two forwards. It’s a pairing which offers dynamism, flair, creativity and a real clinical edge. Most of Vlahović’s goals this season have stemmed from the Serbian’s superb movement in the box, and finding himself in the right spaces at the right time.
Vlahović is a potent and clinical penalty box presence, a devastating finisher and his 19 goals in Serie A this season showing that at the tender age of just 21, he’s got so much to give in goal scoring situations. 6 of those 21 goals have come from the penalty spot, scoring 6 from 6 in fact, meaning that he is ever-so reliable in those situations.
His movement is a key element in the promising partnership he has formed with Frank Ribery, before it was Federico Chiesa who is now lighting up the camp at Juventus, but of course both players have moved on and that hasn’t stopped Vlahović continuing his fine progression.
As Fiorentina aim to progress the ball from deep, it is normal to see Vlahović hold his position in order to pin the opposition back into their box, before swiftly making a movement into the channels as his team look to locate areas within the final third. While Vlahović possesses the frame and tenacity to impose himself, he is certainly not short of pace, in fact, the quickness at which he reaches top speed is superb, and that element coupled with a fire in his belly is a frightening sight for even the best defenders in Serie A.
He offers such a dynamic threat in behind. For a striker of his stature and presence, his movement is surprisingly very effective. Intelligent and varied, and it is certainly possible that he learns to adapt his movement to suit the demand that derives from Fiorentina’s attacking play. He is so skilled at timing his runs beyond the defensive line to keep himself onside. He is a real danger when he is through on goal too, and is very content to shoot once the opportunity presents itself – his xG per 90 (0.56) is truly indicative of a forward who gets into dangerous areas, as one would expect from a player with such incisive movement.
Good movement, clinical finishing – Vlahović already looks the complete young package. As a bonus, he works hard off the ball too, he is tenacious, and plays the game like his life depends on it. He is not the type of player to be around when you have the ball, he will hustle and bustle until he regains possession, a real terrier-like performer. He averages 2.44 successful pressures per 90 while also recording 0.62 tackles + interceptions which highlights his abilities without the ball. However, he must learn to channel his energy more profusely as much as possible, as referees will be well inclined to book him in some instances due to his tenacious edge.
Though, that should not be a stick we should use to beat him with. Fans and managers love players who perform on the edge, who give their all in every aspect of their game and Vlahović is that calibre of footballer. His energy, enthusiasm and determination is hugely contagious and rubs off on the rest of his teammates. Without him in the team, Fiorentina often look lost, lacking in imagination and direction and that’s down to Vlahović’s dynamic presence up-front.
Moreover, Vlahović is a very efficient ball carrier. He has a decent turn of pace and, understandably given his size, he is not easy to stop once he gets going, and possesses the close control and technical acumen to create space for himself. He completes 0.89 dribbles per 90 which may seem relatively low, but Vlahović performs them only when he needs to, driving his team up the pitch or getting out of tight areas, and he is more than capable to fulfil these aspects. His carries and progressive distance numbers have decreased in comparison to his previous two campaigns playing top-level football, though that should be deemed as a positive thing as his game has incredibly matured as of late.
Vlahović has no problems holding off his marker, beating him for pace to move into an open area, and looking to find a more progressive pass.
What does the future hold for Dušan Vlahović?
All things considered, Vlahović has quickly morphed into a well-rounded forward, one well suited to the demands of the modern game. He holds a lot of rawness in his game for managers to work with, whether at Fiorentina or elsewhere. While there is a lot of hype surrounding his future at the top-level, one should in fact wonder how well he would transition at this stage to a more stringent and methodical tactical framework.
Fiorentina have not been a stable proposition this season and there is so much uncertainty surrounding the future of the club after Prandelli’s abrupt departure, which could reflect badly on Dušan Vlahović’s own future. Regardless, it is imperative for Dušan Vlahović that he doesn’t allow the upheaval at the camp to derail his superb progress.
He is indeed on his way to the top. If utilised properly, he should be able to cement a reputation for himself as a reliable but exciting top level goalscorer, because of the variety of strengths within his game.
That must be the blueprint for when he does indeed move on. Which club will provide him with the framework to thrive, and also does he remain in Serie A, a league he is already thriving in or does he risk it all and move to a foreign land? He is still only 21-years of age and has much to learn in order to make it at the top-level. Certainly, the next step will also be getting into the Serbia squad for the Euros and thriving as well as joining a club in the Champions League in order to test himself against the most elite defenders in Europe.
While its vitally important not to pick the cart before the horse, Dušan Vlahović certainly holds the tools, abilities, characteristics and desire in his game to one day challenge for some of European football’s most prestigious trophies.
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