According to respected journalist Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea are not interested in signing Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic this summer.
Chelsea have already recruited Nicolas Jackson and Christopher Nkunku to bolster their attack this season, but it has been claimed that manager Mauricio Pochettino is eyeing another marquee striker. Vlahovic has been heavily linked in recent weeks, and it was reported on Friday that Lukaku could be used as a makeweight to sign him from Juventus.
This speculation has now been dismissed by Romano, who has revealed that Chelsea have no plans of signing Vlahovic in a part-exchange deal for Lukaku. The Blues have no interest in the former Fiorentina man, and prefer to offload Lukaku on a permanent transfer before August.
Good decision
Vlahovic is a highly-talented striker, but his performances have been underwhelming since his big-money move to Juventus. The 23-year-old netted 37 goals in a calendar year (2021) for Fiorentina, but has lost his way following his switch to Turin in the 2022 January transfer window.
He has accumulated only 23 goals from 63 matches for Juventus, and the club are now looking to offload him to purchase Lukaku. Chelsea are currently looking for a marquee striker, who could start ahead of Jackson and Armando Broja, but Vlahovic may not be the solution for them.
Apart from his inconsistent form, the Serbian has also picked up several niggles during his last 18 months at Juventus. He would represent a risky signing for Chelsea at £56 million. The London club have made the right decision in avoiding an approach for the 23-year-old striker.
Instead of Vlahovic, Chelsea should target the likes of Randal Kolo Muani or Goncalo Ramos for the no.9 role. The club were in contact with Benfica over Ramos when they signed Enzo Fernandez in late January, and it won’t surprise us if they make a genuine attempt to land him. Ramos had a brilliant 27-goal season with the Portuguese giants.
