Chelsea could be plotting a sensational summer transfer swoop for Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic.
What’s the latest on Dusan Vlahvoic to Chelsea?
According to CBS reporter Ben Jacobs, the Blues are long-term admirers of the 23-year-old star and a move to Stamford Bridge is definitely possible.
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, he said:
“I think Chelsea want a traditional number nine and they urgently need goals. Dusan Vlahovic is one player they've tracked for quite some time.
"The possibility that Vlahovic will leave Juventus hasn't become apparent after the points deduction. It's really been the case for all of 2023, and many suitors feel that there is a real possibility to get Vlahovic at value because he's just not as happy as he was at Fiorentina playing under Max Allegri. Vlahovic could definitely move somewhere this summer."
As per ESPN, the 2021 Champions League winners have already offered €80m (£70m) for the Serbian, who is also attracting attention from Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid.
Who can Dusan Vlahovic emulate at Chelsea?
The ‘striker curse’ has engulfed many Chelsea players over recent years. Alvaro Morata, Gonzalo Higuain, Romelu Lukaku, and Timo Werner have all failed to excel in a blue shirt.
Truthfully, the club hasn’t replaced the loveable yet erratic, and potent physical presence of Diego Costa, who departed the capital back in 2017.
Across three seasons with the west London outfit, the Spaniard netted 59 goals in 120 appearances in all competitions, winning two Premier League titles.
His goals and tenacity endeared to the Stamford Bridge faithful and Vlahovic’s profile as a dominant focal point could be a repeat of Costa.
In what has been his least productive season since 2020, the £215k-per-week man has still netted 14 times in 42 outings, which is still more than Chelsea’s highest scorers as Raheem Sterling and Kai Havertz share nine goals each.
A lack of a number nine has killed the Blues this year, none of the current crop of attackers are a striker that can hold up play or have a killer goal-scoring instinct.
However, Vlahovic is notoriously prolific, having scored 61 goals in 140 Serie A appearances – a commendable record for a player still yet to reach his prime.
The forward stands at 6 foot 3 and is unquestionably a traditional frontman, who would seamlessly fill a humongous gap in the squad.
The former Juventus midfielder Alessio Tacchinardi once described the 21-cap international as “extraordinary” and it is impossible for Chelsea fans not to be intrigued by this possibility.
If new manager Mauricio Pocehttino can secure the signing of the Serbian machine, then it would be an incredible first step to revamping and improving a hideously disjointed frontline that is desperately craving a consistent goalscorer.
To replicate Costa’s status as a blue-blooded god would be a monumental challenge, but Vlahovic surely has the chance to become a Chelsea legend.
