Summary
Chelsea are "tempted" to bring in another number nine this summer and have discussed the possibility of making a move for Dusan Vlahovic, according to journalist Dean Jones.
Is Vlahovic joining Chelsea?
Since Todd Boehly's arrival as Chelsea's new owner, the Blues' approach to the transfer market has been fairly disastrous.
Having spent enormously on a mass of players, Chelsea have been preoccupied this summer with trimming their ridiculously large squad, and it is still impossible to predict what new boss Mauricio Pochettino's line-up will look like on the opening day of the Premier League season.
Chelsea's scattergun approach to signing talented young players on huge contracts has backfired significantly and Pochettino is the man tasked with picking up the pieces.
Despite having spent a vast fortune on players in recent windows, Chelsea still mysteriously ended up without an orthodox striker last season, one of the reasons they slumped to a 12th-placed league finish.
However, Pochettino is hoping to remedy that situation in the market and, despite having already signed Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson this summer, journalist Jones believes that the Blues could target Juventus' Vlahovic to ease their goalscoring woes.
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Jones said: "I know some people are ruling out of Vlahovic and they say that nothing is happening there. But Vlahovic has definitely been explored by Chelsea and conversations have definitely happened in terms of that.
"The fact that they are even contemplating that, tells you they're tempted to go and sign another striker by the end of this transfer window."
Nkunku can play as a striker but is not a typical number nine, despite his prowess in front of goal. Meanwhile, Jackson is just 22-years-old and may need significant time to adjust to life in a new league at such a young age.
Therefore, Vlahovic, who has been called a "big-name striker", could be an astute piece of business and is a player with a wealth of experience despite being just 23-years-old.
The Serbian international has managed 72 goals in 171 matches for Juventus and Fiorentina in Italy but has struggled to fully settle at the Allianz Stadium in Turin since arriving halfway through the 2021/22 season.
A fee of around €80m would potentially be enough to sign Vlahovic, a figure which is unlikely to put off free-spending Chelsea. The striker would offer Pochettino a more traditional number nine than what the Blues currently have at their disposal and the forward's physicality and clinical edge would make him a great fit in the Premier League.
How good is Vlahovic?
Based on his performances last season in a Juventus side that struggled on and off the pitch, there isn't an enormous amount to get excited about with Vlahovic.
He scored just 14 goals and provided four assists in 42 matches, also suffering from injuries at times throughout the campaign, and only managed the same amount of Serie A strikes as wantaway Chelsea forward Romelu Lukaku.
However, looking at his statistics during the 2020/21 season – his last full campaign with Fiorentina – it is clear to see that Vlahovic is a top-quality centre-forward.
Compared to other strikers that season in Serie A per 90 minutes, he ranked in the top eight percent for goals (netting 21 in 37 games) and top 12% for aerials won, highlighting his physical presence up top and eye for goal.
Signing Vlahovic could be a risk given his lack of consistency in the black and white of Juventus, but if the forward can recreate the form he has exhibited in the past with Fiorentina and Serbia, then Pochettino would be foolish not to consider the young striker.