Dusan Vlahovic has targeted scoring 30 goals and leading Juventus to the Serie A title in his first full season in Turin, as he bids to become the first player to win the Capocannoniere (top scorer award) and the Scudetto in the same campaign since 2008-09.
Not since Zlatan Ibrahimovic top-scored with 25 league goals for Jose Mourinho's Inter 13 years ago has Serie A's top scorer played for the title winners, leading Massimiliano Allegri to joke recently he hopes Vlahovic does not win the award next term.
Vlahovic scored 24 Serie A goals last season – seven after leaving Fiorentina for Juventus in January, a tally only bettered by Lazio's Ciro Immobile (27).
Since making his Serie A debut in September 2018, Vlahovic has hit 51 goals in just 113 appearances in the competition.
With Juve having finished fourth in successive league campaigns, Vlahovic hopes his goals can drive them to silverware in the 2022-23 season.
"I have read that in the last 10 to 12 years the top scorer has never won the Scudetto, but there is always a first time, right?" the Serbian told Gazzetta dello Sport.
"Team goals come before personal ones, it's more important for Juve to win, but if I score 30 goals and we become Italian champions, for me that's fine.
"It's the only gift I want. Everything else passes, only the successes remain.
"In Serbia, Italian football was followed a lot, we push beyond our limits to get victories.
"I grew up with the aim of becoming a winner and I will do everything to make it into Juve's history, given the players who have been here."
Vlahovic was linked with several of Europe's biggest clubs, including a host of Premier League outfits, before he opted to follow in the footsteps of Roberto Baggio, Juan Cuadrado and Federico Chiesa in swapping Florence for Turin.
While his move to La Viola's rivals was controversial, Vlahovic says Juve's winning mentality made it an easy decision to make.
"It wasn't a difficult choice because Juve is a glorious club, very close to my way of working: fighting, never giving up until the end, believing even when it seems that all is lost is my philosophy and that of the club too," he added.
"We all know what Juve represent in Italy. For me, it is a pleasure and an honour to defend these colours."
Juventus will begin their Serie A campaign at home to Sassuolo on August 15 after wrapping up pre-season with matches against Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid.
Nashville SC v San Jose Earthquakes: ‘A win would change everything’ - Godoy
Anibal Godoy insists that Nashville are already looking at their game against San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday as a must-win.
Nashville have won just once in the MLS this season and sit in 14th place in the Eastern Conference after a run of four without a win.
The Earthquakes, meanwhile, are bottom of the Western Conference having lost eight of their matches and recording just one win.
Godoy is aware of how their poor start to the season could affect their playoff hopes later down the line but is confident that Nashville can turn things around.
He said: “For us, it's an important week. It's a day we have to win, or we'll start to feel the pressure from other teams as they start to separate in the table.
“This league is long but if we want to get to the playoff you have to win games early on, especially at home.”
Liverpool agree compensation deal for Slot
Liverpool and Feyenoord have reached an agreement in principle over a compensation deal for Arne Slot to become the Reds’ manager next season, according to widespread Dutch media reports.
The Dutchman is reportedly poised to take over from Jurgen Klopp, who announced in January that he would be leaving the club at the end of the campaign.
Slot led Feyenoord to their second Eredivisie title last season after taking over the club in 2021.
It is believed that he topped the list of Liverpool’s favoured candidates due to his attacking playing style and ability to develop players.
Former Liverpool midfielder, Xabi Alonso, who led Bayer Leverkusen to their first Bundesliga title, and Sporting CP’s Ruben Amorim were also reported contenders to take over from Klopp.
Slot had already confirmed his interest in managing in the Premier League, both earlier this week and previously when he was linked to Tottenham in 2023.
QPR 4-0 Leeds United: Shock loss for Farke's men seals Leicester's promotion
QPR thrashed Leeds United 4-0 in the Championship on Friday, ensuring Leicester City booked their promotion straight back to the Premier League.
Ilias Chair was the star for the Hoops as he scored the opener and assisted two more goals to ensure QPR will stay in the Championship for another season.
Lucas Andersen, Lyndon Dykes and Sam Field also got their names on the scoresheet in an emphatic win for Marti Cifuentes' side.
Leeds' heaviest defeat of the season was a huge blow in the race for an automatic promotion spot, with Ipswich Town just one point behind them in third place with two games in hand going into their away clash against Hull City on Saturday.
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