Sport
Out of Sync: Vlahovic and the Tactical Evolution of the No. 9
This is the summer of strikers. Everybody wants one, which is a development many football purists will see as a sign nature is healing. Scoring goals is, after all, the entire point of the sport, but there have been years of tactical innovations changing the way teams attack, resulting in a lack of readymade ‘number 9s’. But one who was predicted to be a star has been overlooked during the transfer window: Juventus’ Dusan Vlahovic.
Liverpool’s pursuit of Newcastle United talisman Alexander Isak has been the saga of the window. Although the Magpies don’t want to sell Isak, they have quietly admitted a deal may need to be done at £150m because the Swede has agitated for the move to Anfield. Throughout their search for a replacement, Vlahovic is yet to feature in any discussions. Hugo Ekitike and Benjamin Sesko have, but the former is already at Liverpool and latter is set to join Manchester United. Arsenal have signed Victor Gyokeres; Vlahovic’s name has only tentatively been linked away from Juve, with AC Milan most heavily linked, but the cost of a deal and his wages put them off. Last month he was reportedly offered a contract termination.
When the 25-year-old moved to Turin from Fiorentina for £67m in 2022, it was seen as a huge coup for Serie A. He was, like Ekitike, Sesko and Isak this summer, wanted all over Europe. Arsenal felt they were in position to sign him, but in joining Juve, he earned praise from outside Fiorentina for staying in Italy.
But his career hasn’t taken off. Though his numbers are not too dissimilar to what he managed at Fiorentina, with 43 Serie A goals in 104 matches, there have been rumblings of discontent between Vlahovic, Juve and the fans. Last season, despite scoring 17 goals in 44 matches in all competitions, he was seldom a regular starter, ousted by the loan arrival of PSG striker Randal Kolo Muani in January. Canadian star Jonathan David has signed on a free from Lille this summer, one of the coups of the window; it is hard to imagine he won’t immediately begin the season ahead of Vlahovic in the pecking order.
But in this era of new age strikers, why is Vlahovic being left behind? The issues are mainly technical; although goalscorers are back ‘in vogue’, simply doing that and little else is an issue. Football is more tactically complex than ever, with most teams playing in a similarly progressive way, and fluidity is key. Strikers need to be versatile, able to link play or dribble and drop deep or wide. Vlahovic is something of a 90s throwback, the type of striker that became a staple of Serie A 30 years ago; big, powerful, switched on in the area. But not nearly effective enough across the board.
Measured against other strikers in Europe’s top five leagues, Vlahovic ranks in the 89th percentile for shots and 90th percentile for touches. Compare that to total passes (32nd percentile), progressive passes (31st percentile) and shot creating actions (39th percentile), and it tells a rather damning story.
There could still be a move this summer for Vlahovic, but it is unlikely to progress his career. Juve’s interest in Sandro Tonali is said to have opened an opportunity to join Newcastle, but Eddie Howe is unlikely to be impressed by his one dimensional skillset.
Football has brought strikers back, and many are pleased about that. But the new age is different, and some, seemingly including Vlahovic, are getting left behind. Few in the world are as potent in front of goal, but nowadays, much more is required.
