Serbia has been determined to miss next year's World Cup. "Gazzetta dello Sport" said that this may affect Vlahovic's contract renewal negotiations.
In yesterday's World Cup European qualifiers, Serbia lost 0-2 away to England and was determined to miss the 2026 World Cup one round ahead of schedule. The contract between Serbian forward Vlahovic and Juventus will expire at the end of June next year. If Serbia can participate in the World Cup next summer, Vlahovic could have hoped to use his outstanding performance in the World Cup to attract more potential suitors. Therefore, a more favorable option for him is to wait until after the World Cup to decide his future. But now that the World Cup hopes are dashed, Vlahovich can only fight for his next contract through his performance at Juventus this season.
For Juventus, one positive factor in the current situation is that Vlahovic's contract extension will not be determined until after the World Cup. On May 24 next year, this season's Serie A will end, and Vlahovich's contract will have about 40 days left. He can use this time to decide whether to renew his contract with Juventus. Juventus CEO Comolli has previously revealed: "Vlahovic, Chiellini, and Modesto have agreed to sit down and negotiate at the end of the season."
However, "Gazzetta dello Sport" also pointed out that Vlahovic's current annual salary is as high as 12 million euros, and Juventus can only provide him with an annual salary of 7 million to 8 million euros at most, which means that Vlahovic needs to accept almost half of the salary cut to stay at Juventus. It's uncertain whether Vlahovich is willing to do so.
But Vlahovic's future will depend on his performance at Juventus. The more games he plays at Juventus and the more goals he scores, the greater the chance of getting a better contract, whether at Juventus or another new team. Juventus' new coach Luciano Spalletti also values Vlahovich very much and has made him the main center forward again. Vlahovich has scored 6 goals for Juventus in all competitions this season and is the team's top scorer.
"Gazzetta dello Sport" also pointed out that starting from the beginning of next year, Vlahovich will be free to sign an agreement with a new club and join for free after the contract expires. Bayern, Atletico Madrid, Tottenham, Manchester United, Barcelona and other giants are paying close attention to him. After all, the opportunity to sign Juventus' 25-year-old main forward for free is not common. If Vlahovic receives an offer he cannot refuse in the winter (annual salary of 8 million to 9 million euros, plus a generous signing fee), it will be difficult for him to give up such a contract. In that case, Juventus would have to deal with a player who has a lucrative new contract and lacks the motivation to participate in the World Cup.