Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic says he didn’t know about Arsenal’s interest in him and only had one club in mind when leaving Fiorentina. The Serbian international made the high-profile switch from Florence to Turin in the winter transfer window, despite being closely linked with a move to the Gunners.
Speaking to The Telegraph, the 22-year-old spoke about his career, pressure, his move to Juventus and why he’s so dedicated to working hard.
Scoring is like flying, I was talking about this with a couple of friends and they kept asking me, ‘What do you feel exactly when you score a goal?’ And I said, when you score for your team, your team-mates, your supporters, friends, it’s something that you only truly understand when you have had that direct experience.
Great joy, obviously, and it’s a kind of joy I have with my family, but it’s definitely the greatest emotion of all. It’s something that fills me, pervades me completely. And so if I don’t feel that emotion then I feel low, I feel empty. I have a sense of emptiness. But if I score it is like flying. And once you feel it you have to have it again and again, you have to have that emotion. That’s why I say it’s an addiction. It encourages you all the time.
It’s something that I live for. Especially when the stadium is packed, you hear all the cheering, all the fans shouting your name. It’s amazing.
Vlahovic was asked about the links with Arsenal in the January transfer window
Maybe my agent knows [about Arsenal’s offer] but I never talked to anyone about it. I just had one club in my mind because Juventus is Juventus. There is nothing else to say. And now I feel honoured to be given this jersey. It’s incredible every time I put it on.
I definitely identify with their DNA. The Juventus personality coincides with my personality. When you come here you never give up, you fight all the time, you make the sacrifices. This was definitely what I was looking for.
I like pressure. I like high expectations because I like the kind of adrenalin that comes out. I have never really suffered too much from pressure. Maybe when I was younger but not now and in 10 years time I will probably feel even better about it. I don’t really care too much when people talk about pressure.
I never want to rest. I am dedicated 24/7 and when I go home, what do I do? I watch football matches! I watch to have fun, to enjoy, but also to learn and improve. You notice things and figure them out and think, ‘I could have done this or that’.
I like spending time with my family, who have always been my force, and friends. I don’t like video games. I am not very good at them. I prefer going for a walk!
In the past I had the time to read books, but not now. Basically I am completely dedicated to football and, for me, it’s only the beginning, by the way. The best is yet to come.”
