Could January target Vlahovic fit as Aubameyang's replacement?

Could January target Vlahovic fit as Auba replacement?

By Jonny Bray
Dušan Vlahović is one of the most exciting young players in Europe at the moment.
The ACF Fiorentina and Serbia striker has lit up Serie A for two consecutive seasons now, scoring 21 goals in 37 appearances last season and 16 in 20 league appearances this campaign.
He’s being linked with a move to the Premier League this January, and a host of clubs would be happy to have him at a time where elite strikers seem few and far between across Europe.
But with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang taking up such a large portion of Arsenal's wage bill, the Gunners may have to wait until they get rid of the Gambon international before any moves are made.
So, will January target Vlahović work well as an Aubameyang replacement, or would it be a panic buy from the club after losing their most experienced goal scorer?
After such an impressive first half of the season, signing a top-quality striker like Vlahović could be the difference between Champions League and Europa League football next season.

Would he work as a replacement for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang?

Vlahović and Aubameyang may both be great goalscorers, but they’re also radically different players.
We all know that Aubameyang relies on his pace, can play out wide and loves to make run in behind.
In contrast, Vlahović is far happier receiving the ball to feet and can score a far wider array of goals.
In many ways, Vlahović is better suited to the style of football Mikel Arteta wants to play, and so would be an upgrade on Aubameyang.
Aubameyang has looked out of place under Arteta and has struggled to score even when he has been available to play for much of the Spaniard’s time at the club.
The only issue is that there are similar types of players on the market to Vlahović, such as Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
In contrast, Aubameyang is very much a one-of-a-kind talent, with few players possessing his incredible combination of pace, skill and ruthlessness in front of goal.
So, in short, he wouldn’t be a like-for-like replacement, but we would be able to expect Vlahović to score a similar number of goals.

Can Arsenal attract him?

There has been a lot of debate in the press over the last month about if Arsenal can still attract the elite players.
They’ve spent quite some time outside the top four and have been perceived as being a chaotic mess for over a decade.
But times are changing, and the squad has been getting better and better with every passing transfer window.
Now could be the moment to make a statement signing like this and begin a big push to return to the top of English football.
With so many exciting young players to help alongside him, adding Vlahović to this team could be the difference over the next few years.
We’ve also seen with Liverpool that in order to challenge Manchester City, you need a world-class forward.
When they signed Mohamed Salah, they weren’t nearly as good as they would go on to become.He elevated the entire team, and Vlahović could do the same at The Emirates.

Photo Credit: Getty Images

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