In the end, is Vlahovic still heading to Milan?

27/08/2025 15:21:00 ScoreStream

The Serie A transfer market early this week became lively with two young Danish strikers: Conrad Harder and Rasmus Hojlund. Harder is set to join AC Milan, while Hojlund will be a Napoli player for at least one season.

According to Italian press, all agreements between the parties regarding the transfer of Conrad Harder from Sporting Lisbon to San Siro have been finalized. Milan will pay Sporting 24 million euros, and the 20-year-old striker will sign a five-year contract with an option to extend for one more year. However, the medical check and contract signing are currently postponed because Sporting needs to find a replacement for Harder before officially releasing him.

Meanwhile, Hojlund agreed to move to Napoli after rejecting Milan, the club that had pursued him continuously for the past two weeks (which led Milan to shift their focus to Harder). The deal is a loan with an option to buy worth about 50 million euros in total (5 million loan fee + 45 million purchase fee), but Napoli agreed to convert the option into an obligation to buy if certain conditions are met, unlike Milan. Hojlund, who previously only wanted a contract ensuring his future rather than facing uncertainty in summer 2026, accepted Napoli’s proposal. He will have to work hard to secure a permanent transfer, which is beneficial for all sides involved.

Pressure and skepticism await Harder (left) and Hojlund in Serie A

However, both of these fairy-tale forwards will confront significant pressure in Italy. Can Harder help Milan fix their attacking issues that were evident in the opening loss to Cremonese? Or can Hojlund, who had a dull spell at MU, replace Romelu Lukaku and take on the goal-scoring duties at Napoli? At this time, only doubts and questions surround them, especially since no Nordic attacker has previously excelled in Serie A except Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Milan once had high hopes for Jens Petter Hauge, the Norwegian star from Bodo/Glimt three years ago, but the young midfielder quickly faded like a candle running out of wax.

Since Harder is still very young and considered more a solution for the future, in Italy, it is believed Milan will buy an additional truly world-class striker to meet current demands, and that player is very likely Dusan Vlahovic, whom coach Allegri personally requested. At present, Milan and Juventus are considering a player exchange, with Vlahovic moving to Milan and Alexis Saelemaekers joining Juve. The main sticking point remains whether Vlahovic will accept a 50% pay cut to join Milan; however, the parties might find a resolution in the final days of the summer transfer window.

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