Vasilije Kostov: The Serbian teen sensation whose sublime season has caught the eye of Arsenal, Barcelona & more
It will come as no surprise to hear that some of Europe’s elite are keeping a keen eye on Kostov’s exploits in Belgrade amid an outstanding breakthrough campaign at Red Star. In the short-term, he will surely be focused on helping his current employers claim a ninth league title in a row as they begin the championship round in the Super Liga, but there will be intense scrutiny around his future come the summer.
The teenager has already been linked with the likes of Arsenal, AC Milan, Barcelona (against whom he scored a cheeky Panenka in the UEFA Youth League in 2024), Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain, while Stankovic’s connection with Inter supposedly means the Italian giants are also in the running. However, given the youngster signed a new contract until 2028 as recently as October, Red Star are in a position of power.
Whether they decide to cash-in this summer for what is certain to be a record fee for a Serbian player remains to be seen. For what it’s worth, the player himself insists he is unaffected by the noise.
“I don’t think I was so carried away by the fact that they write a lot about the fact that I’m going somewhere,” he told Sporty. “All those big numbers, 25 million (euros)… It doesn’t affect my game and my stay here at all.”
However, Kostov suggested he has already outgrown the Serbian top-flight, and dropped a significant hint as to where he could end up in the future: “I can’t say it’s too easy (the standard), because there are a lot of experienced and really good players in the Super Liga. Of course I think I can play at a higher level, certainly. At this point I think this is totally okay for me.”
He added: “I think I would do best in Germany or Italy. As I have said many times, I don’t think so much about my desires. It is not my main goal to go somewhere this summer.”
