Man Utd 'held talks to sign €120m player in January' after previous Arsenal rejection

Manchester United are believed to have held talks with Juventus over a deal for striker Dusan Vlahovic, a new report has claimed.

United were in the market for a new forward in January after allowing Cristiano Ronaldo to leave the club before the start of the World Cup.

But instead of spending big money on a replacement for the Portuguese, United opted to sign Wout Weghorst on loan from Burnley until the end of the season.

It was believed that United's owners, the Glazer family, were reluctant to spend heavily in the winter transfer market after putting the club up for sale.

However, a new report claims the Premier League club explored the possibility of a potentially huge deal to sign Vlahovic from Juventus.

The Serbian striker joined Juve from Fiorentina in January 2022 in a deal worth €75m (£62.8m), including add-ons.

Vlahovic turned down a move to Arsenal to join Juventus and has managed a respectable return of 19 goals in 42 games for the Old Lady, despite the club's struggles this season.

He has been linked with a move away from Turin in the summer, with Juventus potentially needing to sell some of their best players due to their current financial struggles.

Real Madrid 'interested in Vlahovic'

Spanish publication AS claim Real Madrid are seen as a "serious option" for the Serbia international.

The report claims that Juventus tried to sell Vlahovic to a top Premier League club which it describes as "presumably Manchester United" during the January transfer window.

Juventus were reportedly seeking between €100m (£88m) and €120m (£105m) for the 23-year-old.

But just before the transfer was "due to be agreed", Vlahovic’s agent agent "put a stop to it going through", the report claims.

Real Madrid are said to be "attentive" to his situation and view the striker as potential long-term replacement for Karim Benzema, who is out of contract at the end of the season.

It is claimed that Madrid's "excellent relationship" with Juventus could facilitate a deal for Vlahovic this summer.

Topics: Manchester United, Football, Premier League, Dusan Vlahovic, Juventus

Rory O'Callaghan

Rory O'Callaghan is Editorial Lead at SPORTbible. He has previously worked for Sky Sports News, MailOnline and Reach covering football, cricket, boxing and MMA. Tested daily as a Liverpool fan in a Manchester office.

@rory_ocallaghan