Chelsea and Liverpool are reportedly holding talks with the representatives of Fiorentina striker Dusan Vlahovic over the possibility of a summer transfer.
According to a report from Anfield Central, Chelsea and Liverpool could be set for a transfer battle this summer as both the Premier League clubs have set their sights on Fiorentina’s Serbian striker Dusan Vlahovic.
The 21-year-old forward arrived at Fiorentina in 2018 from boyhood club Partizan Belgrade. Upon his arrival, Vlahovic spent the first season with the Viola’s Primavera outfit before becoming a regular part of the first-team in 2019/20. While he did not have the best of starts, the towering Serbian has enjoyed a breakthrough campaign in 2020/21.
Indeed, Vlahovic ended the recently concluded season with a massively impressive tally of 21 goals from 37 Serie A outings, with only Cristiano Ronaldo, Romelu Lukaku and Luis Muriel managing more than him in the competition. On the back of his form, the striker also broke into the Serbian national team last year and has made seven appearances to date.
Vlahovic’s tremendous rise over the past ten months or so has now put several clubs across Europe on high alert. The 21-year-old has been linked with a move to Real Madrid, while now both Liverpool and Chelsea have cast their admiring glances towards the Serbian forward.
Liverpool’s interest in Vlahovic has been known for some time as Jurgen Klopp & co. look for a genuine goalscoring centre-forward heading into the next season. In fact, it had been claimed that the Reds had already held talks over a potential move for the Fiorentina striker not so long ago, and it seems like they have re-established contact with the player’s representatives to further firm up their interest in the signing.
With Roberto Firmino not producing the goods in front of goal consistently and Divock Origi linked with a summer exit, it becomes imperative that Liverpool secure a new striker, which makes Vlahovic a viable target. However, they are now set to face competition from Chelsea, who are also in the market for a new centre-forward.
Chelsea, heading into the summer, have been heavily linked with a move for Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland as manager Thomas Tuchel eyes a new striker. Timo Werner misfired following his big-money move from RB Leipzig, while both Tammy Abraham and Olivier Giroud have been linked with exits from Stamford Bridge.
But Dortmund are not willing to sell Haaland this summer, and even if they agree to a sale, he is likely to cost a fortune. So, the Blues seem to be keeping their options open and have set their sights on Vlahovic as a potential alternative. Like Liverpool, Chelsea, too, have started talks with the striker’s representatives to explore the possibility of a transfer.
Vlahovic is contracted with Fiorentina till 2023, meaning the Viola are under no pressure to sell. As a result, they could demand a premium transfer fee for the Serbian. But even then, he is likely to come at a much affordable price than Haaland. It now remains to be seen if either Chelsea or Liverpool make a formal approach.