Massimiliano Allegri has admitted that Juventus may choose to sell Dusan Vlahovic during the summer transfer window.
In January 2022, Juventus paid an alleged €70m to secure a deal for the Serbia international who had been impressing for Fiorentina.
Since then, Vlahovic has contributed 23 goals from 63 appearances, a respectable return for a player who has been making the transition to representing a bigger club.
However, it appears highly likely that the 23-year-old will soon be leaving Turin, a consequence of a number of factors which include Juventus' situation off the pitch.
During 2022-23, Juventus were deducted points in Serie A on two separate occasions, and although the first punishment was successfully appealed, the second led to the club finishing down in seventh place in the top flight.
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Although qualification was secured for the Europa Conference League, further punishment from UEFA resulted in Juventus being banned and heavily fined, putting officials in a position where they must find a balance between a rebuild and balancing the books.
While Vlahovic has been linked with an exit throughout the summer, it has been claimed in recent days that a potential swap deal involving Chelsea's Romelu Lukaku is on the table.
The Premier League outfit would be required to pay a substantial fee on top of parting with Lukaku, and such a proposal is now being considered by the relevant parties.
As quoted by transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Allegri has acknowledged that he and the club are realistically powerless to resist an opportunity to bolster their finances through parting with Vlahovic.
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Allegri said: "I'm happy with the players we have but impossible to refuse bids will be evaluated due to the financial situation. I will adapt to the club's choice, as always."
While a number of players have left on free transfers and loans, Juventus are still keen to cash in on the likes of Weston McKennie and Denis Zakaria.
Juventus have been obligated to finalise agreements for a number of loanees to remain at the club, while Timothy Weah has been signed from Lille.
From Chelsea's perspective, they are said to be looking for a fee in the region of £35m for Lukaku, a figure which has not attracted as many offers as Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital had hoped.
Darren Plant
