Juventus spent €83.5m and now Vlahović is worth less than half - €35m, and dropping like a stone (nearly 60% lost in value in just over three years). He signed that monster contract and all the goals dried up, not to mention the groin and muscle injuries, which turned him into the world's most expensive spectator for weeks at a time. Now, Juve's actually willing to pay part of his wages just to get rid of him. How's that for a modern transfer market horror story?

The Galatasaray-Osimhen story is almost the mirror image: Gala going all-in with €55m offers, Napoli digging their heels, and Saudi clubs waving silly money that Osimhen doesn't want. It really shows how top strikers are boxed in: the only way out is to leagues with no FFP, but guys like Osimhen (and Vlahović, so far) still want the Champions League lights

If Juve blink and let Vlahović run down his contract, that's a €40m+ black hole. One guy, nearly a quarter of the wage bill, playing Fortnite at home while the team fights for a Europa League spot. Classic modern football: pay big, get stuck, pray for Saudi or Turkish escape hatches