Juventus’ New $79M Transfer Is Already Paying Off

It didn’t take long for Dusan Vlahovic to make his mark for Juventus in the UEFA Champions League.

In Tuesday’s Round of 16 first leg, the Serb scored 32 seconds into the Bianconeri’s 1-1 draw with Villarreal — the fastest goal in a UCL debut.

For a team decimated by injuries and the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo, the 22-year-old is expected to be worth every penny of the $79 million Juve agreed to pay Fiorentina for his services in January.  

• The deal between the two Serie A clubs runs through 2026 and includes bonuses that could reach $11 million.

• He is the second-youngest player from Juventus to score in his Champions League debut (Alessandro Del Piero, 20). He also scored 13 minutes into his Juve domestic debut against Hellas Verona on Feb. 6.
• In addition to losing Ronaldo, Juve has been decimated by injuries to key attacking players including Federico Chiesa, Paulo Dybala, and USMNT star Weston McKennie.

Juve desperately need a consistent goalscorer not only to progress in the UCL, but to even qualify for next year’s competition.

Vlahovic scored 20 goals in 24 matches with Fiorentina this season, and 44 in 98 appearances from 2018-22.

Juventus has been eliminated in the Round of 16 each of the last three years, last made the final in 2015, and haven’t won since 1996.