- David still in his early days at Juve
- Confirms that Inter tried to sign him
- Believes he can co-exist with Vlahovic
David was signed by Juventus this summer in an attempt to secure the club’s next reliable centre-forward, while they attempted to sell Vlahovic due to his huge wages. However, the Canadian marksman has no qualms that he could form a lethal strike partnership with the Serbian in attack. There was a small possibility, though, of David joining Juve’s bitter Serie A rivals.
Signed from Fiorentina in January 2022, Vlahovic was expected to fill the void left by Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored over a century of goals in just three seasons at the Allianz Stadium. However, he could only score 58 goals in 145 games, as Juventus failed to win the league. The only trophy the Bianconeri have won since Vlahovic’s arrival is the Coppa Italia in the 2023-24 season.
A move to AC Milan seemed to be on the cards, but the 25-year-old was adamant on not halving his wages to switch to San Siro. Newcastle were rumoured to hold interest, too, but a move did not materialise. All attempts made by Juve to offload Vlahovic, who has entered the final year of his contract, were futile. However, it seems that he could get a chance to revive his career under new head coach Igor Tudor, despite playing second-fiddle to David. Indeed, the Belgrade-born striker has scored twice in as many substitute appearances in the league, recording a goal every 19 minutes. David, as such, firmly believes that a two-man strike partnership with him and Vlahovic could work out perfectly.
Ahead of Juve’s blockbuster clash against Inter in the Derby d’Italia this weekend, David confirmed that the Nerazzurri were keen on signing him. “Not that close. I’ve had discussions with my agent, but they haven’t been in-depth. I’m very happy at Juventus,” David told Gazzetta dello Sport.
On whether he can thrive with Vlahovic, David added: “Yes, it’s possible. But these are decisions for the coach, it’s more of a question for Tudor. I’m ready for any solution and I’m having fun no matter what. Dusan and I push each other on the pitch because we want the best for the team. I feel comfortable in both situations; they’re systems I know. In recent seasons, I’ve played as a lone striker for the club, but for the national team, I’ve always partnered with another striker. It’s not a big difference for me; I enjoy it either way.”
David opened his account for Juve on his competitive debut in the first Serie A game of the season against Parma. More of the same will be expected from the striker when Tudor’s troops take on Inter at home on Saturday.
