Update on Vlahovic rumour doesn’t bode well for Tottenham in January

The Fiorentina sensation wanted by Tottenham and pretty much every other elite team on the continent probably won’t make his decision until the summer. 

Other than perhaps Erling Haaland, Dusan Vlahovic is the world’s most wanted man, at least in football circles. Scoring almost a goal per match this season (16 in 19 matches), the 21-year-old is ripping through the Serie A. His exploits haven’t gone unnoticed, which poses a problem for Tottenham, who, just recently, were considered one of the frontrunners to secure his coveted signature.

While Spurs are still in the conversation, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, PSG, Juventus, Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund have joined the party and are doing their utmost to sway the superlative Serbian. Though Fiorentina doesn’t, for various reasons, want to sell to Juventus and City’s first choice is Haaland.

Tottenham, thanks to Conte’s influence, are still in with a fighter’s chance, even if we’re the chubby, out-of-shape scrapper whose only shot at landing him is via a hail Mary knockout blow.

Arsenal are the latest side to make a strong advance. Desperate to sign the sensational Serb, Mikel Arteta knows Arsenal’s chances of landing Vlahovic after deadline day decreases like the temperature in an Arctic front.

Why Vlahovic wants to wait until the summer to commit to future

Vlahovic senses Arsenal’s desperation (who wouldn’t) and has reportedly, via a 90min.com piece, advised all would-be suitors that he is steadfast on waiting until the summer before deciding which club he’ll commit to.

To Tottenham’s chagrin, his preference to err on the side of patience is logically sound.

First, if there’s any chance of signing an extension with Fiorentina, a more improbable outcome than Daniel Levy slumming it in the Bahamas, he’ll first want to see if his current club earns a spot in the 2022-2023 Champions League, another unlikelihood. Fiorentina sits in sixth spot, six points adrift of fourth place Atalanta.

On the topic of the Champions League, it’s extremely unlikely that Vlahovic will commit his future to a team that doesn’t consistently participate in Europe’s premier club competition. And that is the main reason Vlahovic will wait until summer to make the biggest decision of his career.

If Spurs are to have any chance of winning the Vlahovic sweepstakes, they must book their place in next season’s Champions League. A spot in the Europa League will be about as appealing to Vlahovic as a gold-coated turd.

When looking at all the other teams vying for a crack at Vlahovic, it’s hard to favour Spurs’ chances. That said, Antonio Conte offers Tottenham supporters substantive hope. Vlahovic has said publicly how much he respects and wants to play for Conte. So if Spurs take care of their business and earn a top four spot, there’s a decent chance the Serb will be Tottenham-bound.

The question is whether Tottenham are willing to wait another six months to strengthen a position in dire need of support. Well, that’s an easy one. Spurs have already waited the duration of Harry Kane’s career to sign another elite striker, so what’s a few more months?