Italian icon Anthony Cassano has told Juventus new boy Dusan Vlahovic that he was wrong to not join the likes of Arsenal or Tottenham Hotspur.
Both north London sides were quoted as holding an interest in the Serbian international, with the Gunners in particular keen to bring him to the club before Monday night's deadline.
Head coach Mikel Arteta is keen to bring in a long-term replacement for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and out-of-contract frontmen Eddie Nketiah and Alexandre Lacazette.
Arteta was a huge admirer of Vlahovic but as football.london reported earlier this month, the player always was keen to stay in Serie A, something that Cassano has criticised.
“Juventus will not change with Allegri, neither next year nor in ten years,” he told Bobo TV, via Metro.
“In my opinion, [Vlahovic’s decision] is sensationally wrong. For the type of player I think he is he needed to make an intermediate step to a team like Arsenal, Tottenham [Hotspur], or Sevilla, who signed [Anthony] Martial.
“For me, you know, he has always been a second-tier player.”
“Players from abroad look at the CVs of football clubs.
“We all talk about the CV of a player and of a manager. We can talk about Antonio Conte’s and it’s a fantastic one. And we can talk about the facilities at Spurs and they are extraordinary, but they haven’t got a CV as a club.
“They haven’t got a haul of trophies have they, they haven’t won the Premier League, have they? They have been close a couple of times and, yes they are an attractive proposition, they’re a great football club, but they are not going to win a deal ahead of Liverpool, 9 times out of 10, at the moment.
“It’s like Manchester United. They hogged the transfer market. And there were people, like Alan Shearer and others, who turned them down but nearly every target that Fergie wanted, they went because of Fergie and the success the club was having. It was an easy choice for players.
“If you’re a wanted player, lots of players get hijacked. Not everyone gets everyone they want. There are clubs who get spoilt for choice sometimes because a player is desperately wanting to come to you.
“The manager does have a big play in it. Conte is a terrific manager. I just think they are having a difficult time getting the type of player he thinks is needed and getting them over the line is really tough.
“It’s the same problem for Arteta. He’s got the same problem as Spurs have got.”
