Italiano's Besiktas confirm Vlahovic talks, explain Salah abandonment
Quick summary
New Besiktas head coach Vincenzo Italiano confirmed ongoing transfer talks for Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic and addressed the club's decision to abandon a move for Salah.
Full article
Attributed to original sourceBesiktas President Serdal Adali confirmed they are ‘talking to Dusan Vlahovic’ about a deal for the former Juventus striker, after refusing to meet Mohamed Salah’s terms.
The Turkish club is confident it has a secret weapon in tempting Vlahovic to the Super Lig, specifically the presence of coach Vincenzo Italiano, who already worked with the Serbian at Fiorentina.
The forward has been a free agent since July 1, when his contract with Juventus was allowed to run down.
Vlahovic unsure about Besiktas TURIN, ITALY – MAY 03: Dusan Vlahovic of Juventus FC celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the Serie A match between Juventus FC and Hellas Verona FC at Allianz Stadium on May 3, 2026 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images) He had left the door open for a potential new deal with Juve at a reduced salary , but has largely been waiting for the big clubs in the Premier League, LaLiga or Bundesliga to make him an offer.
So far, that has not happened, with Besiktas emerging as the most likely option.
“We are working on it, we are talking to Vlahovic,” confirmed President Serdal Adali to reporters today.
TURIN, ITALY – NOVEMBER 04: Dusan Vlahovic of Juventus reacts during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD4 match between Juventus and Sporting Clube de Portugal at Juventus Stadium on November 04, 2025 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Stefano Guidi/Getty Images) Besiktas have the budget for him now, because they abandoned the attempts to sign another free agent, ex-Liverpool legend Mohamed Salah.
They had complained publicly about the ‘unacceptable’ demands, including a large cut of the merchandise sales and a huge commission for his agent.
Instead, Salah arrived today to complete a transfer to Trabzonspor.
“I watch with sadness that people seem to act like we were at the table and someone came to take him away. The Salah move didn’t go through because we did not want it to with those terms,” added the President.
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What happened
Besiktas, now managed by Vincenzo Italiano, have publicly confirmed negotiations to sign Juventus forward Dusan Vlahovic. The Turkish club also explained why they walked away from a pursuit of a player named Salah. Italiano appears to be shaping his Besiktas squad with a focus on Serie A-connected targets, though the Vlahovic deal remains at the talks stage and has not been completed. The Salah situation suggests Besiktas evaluated and decided against proceeding with that particular target.
Chance analysis
Besiktas targeting Vlahovic signals ambitious intent under new coach Italiano and indicates potential Serie A outgoing movement. For Juventus, losing or loaning Vlahovic would relieve a significant wage burden and free up attacking options. The abandoned Salah pursuit suggests Besiktas are being selective rather than panic-buying. From a prediction standpoint, this is most relevant for monitoring Vlahovic's availability at Juventus and Besiktas' squad construction ahead of the Turkish season.
Potential weakening of Juventus' attacking options if Vlahovic departs, and strengthening of Besiktas' squad under Italiano if the transfer completes.
Monitor Juventus attacking depth as Vlahovic could leave; Besiktas squad strengthening may affect their early-season Turkish Süper Lig performance.