Chelsea ‘one of three clubs’ to ‘make offer’ for £80m-rated striker as Pochettino eyes antidote to key issue
Chelsea are ‘one of three teams’ to ‘submit an offer’ for highly-rated Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic, according to reports.
Soon-to-be Blues boss Mauricio Pochettino is expected to bring in several players in the summer window and a new centre-forward is his priority.
Indeed, a lack of scoring goals has been a key feature of Chelsea’s disappointing season. So, a move for Vlahovic could be exactly what they need to get back on track.
The London club currently sit in a disappointing 11th place in the Premier League table – heading for their worst season since 1996.
As mentioned, scoring goals has been their main issue. So far, Chelsea have netted just 36 times in 35 matches, which is the joint fourth-least in the entire division.
Currently, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is the only fit ‘established’ striker in the Blues squad and he will leave the club at the end of the season.
They do have David Datro Fofana and Armando Broja among their ranks. However, Fofana is still a youngster, while Broja is still recovering from a serious knee injury.
Clearly, Chelsea could do with signing at least one new striker this summer. Now, it seems Pochettino has identified his first-choice target.
Chelsea ‘make offer’ for Dusan Vlahovic
According to Italian football agent Massimo Brambati, Chelsea are among three teams to have ‘made an offer’ for Vlahovic.
Speaking to TMV Radio, he said: “There are three teams that showed up [for Vlahovic].
“In my opinion, Juve will take these offers seriously. All of them have an important profile because they’re Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid.
The Juventus star, who has been previously valued at £80m, has been on the Blues’ transfer shortlist for a while.
Also, as reported by TEAMtalk, Vlahovic has expressed a willingness to leave Juventus this summer, with a switch to the Premier League looking most likely.
Both Arsenal and Chelsea have registered an interest in Vlahovic. So, it will be interesting to see if the Gunners respond with their own offer.
This season, the 23-year-old has made 41 appearances across all competitions. In the process, he has scored 14 goals, along with making four assists.
While these numbers may not sound fantastic, Vlahovic hasn’t been fully fit for most of the season. And, he still looks set to become a world-class player as he gains experience.
The Serbia international’s stock increased again on Thursday night as he scored a well-taken goal against Sevilla in the Europa League semi-finals. Although, Juve ultimately lost in extra time.
With that in mind, it will be interesting to see if Chelsea win the race for Vlahovic this summer.
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