According to Italian website Calciomercato, Chelsea could sign Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic for just £26 million if Romelu Lukaku is included as part of the deal.
It is widely known that Chelsea are looking to offload Lukaku on a permanent basis. Inter Milan were first interested in re-signing him, but they pulled the plug on negotiations due to trust issues. Juventus have since been fancied to sign the Belgium international, but the Bianconeri want to offload Vlahovic first.
Calciomercato now report that Chelsea have been offered the chance to land Vlahovic on the cheap by Juventus if Lukaku is included as a makeweight. The Turin giants initially wanted £77 million for the Serbian star, but their price has been lowered to £60 million amid the lack of concrete interest in his services.
Juventus now want Lukaku (currently valued at £34 million) plus £26 million in exchange for Vlahovic from Chelsea. The Blues are yet to respond to the proposal, but they could be interested in the 23-year-old with manager Mauricio Pochettino said to be eyeing another marquee striker ahead of the new season.
Good deal
Lukaku is currently the highest earner in the Chelsea squad and the club will want to offload him as soon as possible. The Belgian also shares the same stance and would prefer to end his association on a permanent basis. Taking this into mind, Chelsea could be tempted to accept Juventus’ offer on the table.
Juventus are the only club interested in signing Lukaku at the moment. The 30-year-old has already turned down big-money offers from Saudi Arabia. Chelsea decided against making a move for Vlahovic last month, but may now reconsider him. He would provide Pochettino with an added solution up front.
For now, Nicolas Jackson and Christopher Nkunku are the striking options for Chelsea, but the latter is more of an attacking player. Vlahovic has struggled for form and consistency during his time at Juventus. The style of play has not suited him, but his fortunes could change with a move to another club.
At £26m plus Lukaku, it would be a good deal for Chelsea. The club already have two in-form players to lead the line under Pochettino, and Vlahovic could be given time to adapt before establishing himself as a regular.
