Chelsea have reportedly joined the race to sign Serbian hitman Dusan Vlahovic from Serie A giants Juventus.
Chelsea have joined Dusan Vlahovic’s growing list of admirers and could make a move for the Juventus target man if he became available. That is according to a report from 90min, which claims the Blues are looking to bring in a new striker next summer and hold an interest in the 22-year-old Serbian striker.
The Serbian international rebuffed Arsenal’s interest to join the Bianconeri in the January transfer window this year and has netted 16 goals in 34 competitive appearances since then.
Vlahovic has also begun the 2022/23 season brightly, with six goals in nine Serie A appearances, including the winner in his side’s narrow 1-0 win over city-rivals Torino. But his endeavours have not been sufficient to rescue Massimiliano Allegri’s side from having a dismal start to the season.
Juventus currently sit at eighth in the Serie A table during the opening phase of the ongoing campaign and are on the brink of an early UEFA Champions League exit following uninspiring defeats against Benfica and competition minnows Maccabi Haifa.
Despite having only joined the Old Lady from Fiorentina ten months ago and with a contract at Allianz Stadium until 2026, Vlahovic has been tipped by some Italian media outlets to seek an early exit from Turin.
While his goal tally has been impressive, critics have claimed that the Serb has appeared lost in coach Allegri’s rigid and old-fashioned system and is getting worse under the Italian’s watch. There have also been rumours of a rift between the manager and the player, leading to speculations of a move away.
Arsenal have supposedly renewed their long-time interest, and now Chelsea are also keeping close tabs on the 22-year-old’s situation.
The Blues allowed Romelu Lukaku to rejoin Inter Milan on loan during the summer. They have no plans to reintegrate the Belgium international in the future and are likely to cut their losses on the 29-year-old striker. Timo Werner also completed a permanent return to RB Leipzig.
Chelsea responded by signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Barcelona in September. But the Gabonese international is 33-year-old and is being courted by Paris Saint-Germain. So the Premier League bigiwigs are on the lookout for a younger alternative.
There is a lot of excitement around Vlahovic at present, and he fits the bill as a long-term option up front for the Blues. It seems unlikely that Chelsea will be able to pull off a deal to sign the Juventus frontman, as per 90min, who claim the Italian outfit will not entertain any offers for their star forward, while the player himself is not keen on forcing through an exit.
Furthermore, Chelsea are believed to be looking at a number of different transfer targets in the forward positions, with Napoli’s Victor Osimhen high on the shortlist.
