Juventus CEO denies personal contact with Dusan Vlahovic as contract expiry looms

Juventus have a striker problem, and their new CEO just made it very public.

Giovanni Carnevali, who replaced Damien Comolli as the club’s chief executive around mid-June, confirmed he has had zero direct communication with Dusan Vlahovic. More pointedly, he said the Serbian forward is not part of the club’s plans.

Vlahovic’s contract expires on June 30, 2026.

A negotiation that never really got going

The breakdown didn’t happen overnight. Contract renewal talks between Vlahovic and Juventus have been stalled for some time, with the two sides unable to bridge a gap that kept widening.

Juventus reportedly offered Vlahovic a deal worth around 6 million euros per season with bonuses, and signaled a willingness to stretch up to approximately 12 million euros gross. Vlahovic’s camp, meanwhile, has been seeking something closer to 8 million euros plus significant extras.

Fabrizio Romano reported that as of June 13, 2026, Carnevali had not communicated with Vlahovic at all.

Spalletti’s inquiry and Barcelona’s interest

Juventus coach Luciano Spalletti has reportedly asked the club about Vlahovic’s situation, with no progress reported on any front.

Vlahovic has reportedly been offered to Barcelona. No other confirmed destinations have surfaced.

What this means for Juventus and Vlahovic

Carnevali’s appointment signals a strategic reset. Replacing Comolli and immediately distancing the club from its most prominent forward suggests Juventus is prioritizing financial discipline over squad continuity.

If Vlahovic leaves on a free transfer, Juventus get nothing in transfer fees for a player they signed from Fiorentina in January 2022 for a club-record fee exceeding 70 million euros. But removing a player demanding 8 million euros per year frees up considerable resources for reinvestment elsewhere.

Walking away as a free agent gives Vlahovic leverage in negotiations with new clubs, since there’s no transfer fee eating into the overall package.

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