It was the 59th minute at Stadio Artemio Franchi, and Dušan Vlahović is seen behind the Milan lines.

Midfielder Duncan sends a delicious ball from outside his left foot into Vlahović’s path. He takes a touch to control the ball, another to get around Milan striker Ciprian TătăruÅŸanu and, as the angle tightens, Vlahović bends the ball into the corner of the goal.

The goal, lavish in execution, put Fiorentina 3-0 past Milan in what turned out to be a seven-goal thriller in the end.

Vlahović, of course, scored another goal in the end. Nico González dispossessed Theo Hernández and the ball fell to Vlahović on the edge of the box, and the Serbian was absolutely right, folding the ball out of TătăruÅŸanu’s reach for his 10th goal of the season.

Vlahović equaled a record set by legendary Swedish club striker Kurt Hamrin in 1960, scoring 27 league goals in a single calendar year. Even the legendary Gabriel Batistuta did not achieve such a feat.

Vlahović arguably took Romelu Lukaku’s place as Serie A’s top striker, which is all the more remarkable considering the Serb is still only 21 years old. Such has been his growth over the past 18 months, that Vlahović could probably take his pick from most clubs in Europe, if his form continues until the end of the season.

Vlahović will leave Fiorentina next summer in all likelihood. He is valued at £ 77million, supposedly, but that figure, with the end of his contract, may soon decline.

The club did everything to keep him at the club, but he rejected all offers. This alerted most of the big European clubs, with Juventus, Liverpool and Atlètico Madrid apparently interested in him.

His contract with La Viola expires in the summer of 2023, and with slim chances of renewal, unless the player changes his mind, a departure next summer is on the cards.

A physical presence and endowed with a dynamite left foot, or as fans would say, a “cultivated left foot”, Vlahović would give Liverpool attacking physique, which is currently lacking within the squad. His ceiling as a footballer is remarkably high and he would thrive working under Jürgen Klopp. Moreover, Vlahović is also quick and possesses an exquisite first touch for someone of his stature.

As a result, Vlahović would make Liverpool more fixed in attack, as he is not as fluid to play through the attacking lines as Roberto Firmino, Mohamed Salah, Diogo Jota and Sadio Manè can. But as # 9, his numbers will only increase.

If he were not to succumb to injury, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Vlahović cross the 25-goal mark at Fiorentina this season, becoming the first player to reach that number since Luca Toni 15 years ago.

Vlahović would be an ideal signing for Liverpool, a confirmed striker who is still very young, but the competition for his signing would likely deter FSG from pursuing him as they are not very keen on fighting for their transfer goals.

However, Vlahović would be worth it, and with Liverpool’s top three all reaching their 30s, they have to look to the future, and Vlahović is going to be a major player over the next few years.

It would be foolish to neglect the magnificent Serbian.