Oh Hyeon-gyu Faces Tough Competition as Besiktas Sign Dusan Vlahovic from Juventus

South Korean national team striker Oh Hyeon-gyu (25), who plays for the Turkish professional football club Besiktas, is set to face fierce competition.

Besiktas announced on its official website today (August 13, Korea time) that Dusan Vlahovic (25, Serbia), with whom they had been negotiating, arrived in Istanbul, Turkey, to complete his medical examinations and transfer procedures.

Besiktas President Serdar Adali all but officially confirmed the signing, stating, "I hope this comes as good news to our club and fans," and adding, "I believe Vlahovic will show even more than what he is capable of."

Greeting the Besiktas fans who cheered and sang chants for him as he left the airport, Vlahovic said, "I am happy and proud to be here," and added, "I thank everyone who made it possible for me to come here."

Referring to the colors of the jerseys of the teams he has played for, he also said, "Black and white have followed me all my life," and "The story that began at Partizan [Serbia] continues now at Besiktas via Juventus [Italy]."

Earlier, football transfer market specialist journalist Fabrizio Romano reported yesterday that Vlahovic had agreed to a three-year contract with Besiktas until 2029.

In addition, local media reported that Besiktas agreed to pay Vlahovic a base annual salary of 8 million euros (approx. 13 billion KRW), with up to 10 million euros (approx. 16.3 billion KRW) including performance-based bonuses.

Having concluded his contract with Italian Serie A club Juventus at the end of last season, Vlahovic is currently a free agent (FA).

Standing as a 190 cm tall striker, Vlahovic has played for the Serbian national team since 2020, scoring 16 goals in 41 international appearances.

After leaving Fiorentina [Italy] in January 2022 and moving to Juventus, he played for four and a half seasons, recording 68 goals in 168 official matches.

The acquisition of Vlahovic is a setback for Oh Hyeon-gyu.

Oh Hyeon-gyu, who donned the Besiktas jersey after leaving Belgium's KRC Genk in February of this year, has established himself as a key forward by recording 8 goals and 2 assists in 16 official matches, including 6 goals and 1 assist in 13 league games, notably becoming the first player in club history to score in three consecutive matches right after joining.

He also displayed an impressive performance at the 2026 North and Central America World Cup, scoring the comeback winning goal in the first group-stage match against the Czech Republic to lead South Korea to a 2-1 victory.

However, with a formidable competitor emerging ahead of the new season, Oh Hyeon-gyu's standing within the team is expected to face a significant impact.

(Photo: Getty Images)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.