Dusan Vlahovic details Zlatan Ibrahimovic advice amid Arsenal transfer interest

Fiorentina striker Dusan Vlahovic remains on the radar of Arsenal and some of their Premier League rivals after scoring an impressive 21 goals in Serie A last season

Fiorentina striker Dusan Vlahovic has revealed that he took advice from Zlatan Ibrahimovic earlier this year amid transfer interest from Arsenal.

Vlahovic enjoyed a breakthrough campaign with Fiorentina in 2020/21, scoring 21 goals in 37 Serie A appearances last season.

The 21-year-old’s form led to a flurry of rumoured interest from the likes of Arsenal, Tottenham, Manchester City, Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan.

Vlahovic is currently under contract with the Viola under June 2023 and the Italian side are keen to tie him down to a new deal.

However, Fiorentina’s billionaire owner Rocco Commisso recently admitted that he was not sure if Vlahovic would agree to extending his stay at the club.

“I hope he will stay for a long time,” he told Calcio Mercato .

“Will he sign the new contract? I won’t make promises. I am not certain that I can keep [him].”

Fiorentina rejected a £51million bid from Atletico Madrid for Vlahovic’s services over the summer, according to Sky Sports Italia .

But The Sun reports that Arsenal are still keeping tabs on the Serbian striker due his contractual situation, with Mikel Arteta still keen to add more goals to his side, despite spending nearly £150m on six new players over the summer.

And Vlahovic has now explained that he spoke briefly with AC Milan legend Ibrahimovic in March when speculation was swirling over his future.

“My family first, then if we talk about players, I certainly liked Ibra more for his character and the desire to never give up,” Vlahovic told DAZN when asked about his biggest influences.

“He never allowed anyone to command him, then the monstrous plays…. Let’s leave it. When we lost 3-2 in Florence, I took advantage of the fact that he might not be very angry and asked him for the shirt.

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“He signed it for me, we took a photo and wrote the dedication in our language. He told me to continue and never give up.”

After a summer filled with rumours, Vlahovic finally confirmed on transfer deadline day that he was staying with Fiorentina.

He says that his friendships with his Serbian compatriots Nikola Milenković and Aleksa Terzić at Fiorentina were key to his decision.

“I’m doing great in Florence. I arrived when I was very young, it’s my second home,” he said.

“I always speak sincerely, I think that those who came from the Balkans are doing things more with the heart than the brain.

“I felt like staying, I think I can grow further here. I will score many goals and assists, the rest will come when it comes.

“There may be many risks, but without the risks, it’s not worth living.”