Dusan Vlahovic delays Besiktas decision while waiting for Barcelona opportunity

Dusan Vlahovic is risking his immediate future by holding out for a possible move to Barcelona, despite having a lucrative offer from Besiktas on the table for almost a month.

According to Spanish newspaper Sport, the Serbia striker and those advising him are monitoring developments in Barcelona’s transfer plans, convinced that an opportunity to join the Catalan club could eventually emerge.

Besiktas have made Vlahovic a financially substantial proposal. The Turkish club are offering him a signing-on bonus of more than €5m, along with a net annual salary of €8m in each of the two seasons covered by the proposed contract.

The package is understood to be beyond the financial reach of any other club currently interested in the striker. Vlahovic initially asked for a reasonable period in which to consider the offer, but Besiktas have since issued a final warning. Even then, the Serbian forward requested additional time before making his decision.

The proposed move has remained alive in part because Besiktas head coach Vincenzo Italiano has urged the club’s hierarchy to remain patient. Italiano previously worked with Vlahovic during the player’s best period at Fiorentina and is convinced he could make a significant difference to his current side.

Vlahovic’s representatives offered the striker to Barcelona at the start of the transfer window. However, the Spanish club made it clear that he was not among their priorities. His initial financial demands also failed to win approval, with the player seeking a €10m signing-on bonus and a net annual salary of €8m.

Barcelona’s sporting department and manager Hansi Flick have consistently placed Argentina forward Julian Alvarez at the top of their list and are prepared to fight to sign him. That preference meant a move for Vlahovic was initially considered entirely unlikely.

The Serbian has since softened his financial demands. His decision to do so came over time and after his final separation from Juventus, with his revised terms designed to fit Barcelona’s salary structure more closely.

Even with those changes, Vlahovic must continue to wait. His name remains under consideration at Barcelona, but the club have yet to take any concrete step towards signing him. There are doubts within the Catalan side about whether to proceed, despite recognition of his considerable ability as a striker.

Recent physical problems and questions about how his playing style would fit the team are understood to have created further uncertainty around the potential transfer.

Vlahovic is nevertheless continuing to believe that a route to Barcelona may open. His strategy carries a considerable risk, however, because Besiktas could withdraw their proposal and leave him without a destination.

The Turkish club have given him until 10 August to respond. Until then, the striker is gambling on Barcelona deciding to pursue him, while the more financially attractive Besiktas offer remains unresolved.