Borussia Dortmund have interest in Dusan Vlahovic as a potential replacement for Erling Haaland

According to multiple reports in Germany, Borussia Dortmund are among a host of teams interested in Fiorentina striker Dusan Vlahovic.

As rumors surrounding the potential departure of Erling Haaland in the summer of 2022 continue to circulate, rumors surrounding players Borussia Dortmund may be targeting as his replacement are equally as plentiful. Of the players linked with the Black and Yellows, Dusan Vlahovic’s name is one of the more interesting to have entered the conversation. Both Sky Sport and SportBILD report that Dortmund have an interest in the Fiorentina striker.

While this isn’t the first time Borussia Dortmund have been linked with Serbian international, the club’s interest seems to be magnified by the impending need for a potential replacement for their star striker. Vlahovic, based on his physical profile and playstyle, would make a far superior replacement for Haaland than some of the other names mentioned, particularly due to the fact that, like Haaland, he is a tall, imposing forward that is capable of using than more than physicality to score goals.

Vlahovic is dynamic and creative in his own right, which makes him far more than just a target man. He is not short for pace either, which would help him fit into Dortmund’s explosive style of play quite soundly.

Vlahovic’s goal scoring exploits speak for themselves. The Serbian international scored 21 goals and provided 2 assists in 37 appearances last season. This season, he currently sits on 6 goals and 1 assist across 9 appearances in all competitions. With the Serbian international able to maintain solid goalscoring numbers for a Fiorentina side that hasn’t been without its struggles, it is no surprise that he has attracted interest from a host of Europe’s most prominent clubs.

Alongside Borussia Dortmund, Tottenham Hotspur, Atletico Madrid, Manchester City and Bayern Munich are some of the clubs said to be interested which will make it a difficult fight for any one club to secure his services.

One thing seems clear however; the player himself seems keen to leave Fiorentina at the end of his contract, which expires in June of 2023. In turning down Fiorentina’s final attempt at a contract extension, Vlahovic has reportedly refused to become their highest ever played player per the club’s owner, Rocco Commisso. In a very honest statement to the media a couple of weeks ago, Commisso made his attempts to try and convince Vlahovic to stay public, but also publicly admitted that these attempts were to no avail.

Of the clubs interested however, it is pretty clear that Borussia Dortmund would be one of the best suited for Vlahovic at this point in time in his career. Several players have tried to make the jump to the very highest echelons of world football too soon to see their career and form stumble. One doesn’t have to look far for a good example of this, with Vlahovic’s own compatriot Luka Jovic serving as a cautionary tale. Jovic’s move to Real Madrid from Eintracht Frankfurt has yet to pan out in the way he might have anticipated.

Still in his early twenties, Vlahovic would become the focal point of attack for a young and exciting squad should he choose to move to Borussia Dortmund. He would also be guaranteed play time in a way the other interested parties would perhaps not be able to accommodate. Vlahovic may also be available for a reasonable price considering his contract will only have a year left on it come next summer. It will be up to Sebastian Kehl and co to convince the player that lighting up the Westfalenstadion for seasons to come is in the best interest of all parties involved.