Highlights
New Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino is on the hunt for yet another striker and transfer insider Dean Jones has offered an update to GIVEMESPORT on one of the names linked, Dusan Vlahovic.
What is the current striker situation at Chelsea?
It seems remarkable that Romelu Lukaku is still a Chelsea player given the constant setbacks as well a loan move back to Inter Milan.
Lukaku may be heading towards the exit door once again with another Italian giant sniffing around him. According to Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea could bring Serbian striker Dusan Vlahovic into the club but only if Juventus get the aforementioned Belgian back in return.
Yet another new face will be prowling the Chelsea technical area and it would seem that Lukaku isn’t the striker that Pochettino wants in his system. Vlahovic meanwhile, after a meteoric rise in the Serie A landscape, could be the man for the job. That being said, he endured a very mediocre season last time out, as did the Bianconeri on the whole, 10 goals and two assists hardly tearing any trees up. He is still just 23-years-old though so he has many years of football ahead of him.
What has Dean Jones got to say about Vlahovic?
“I remember a few weeks ago describing how Chelsea had felt out this situation and had a conference call with Juventus ready for talks with the new sporting director over a potential deal.
“On the back of those discussions nothing was picked up, I thought maybe the ship had sailed on Vlahovic for now. Chelsea felt the situation out, they knew everything they needed to know in terms of signing him, but they didn’t pull the trigger.
“After what we have seen from Chelsea and Jackson in pre-season I don’t really see a reason for them suddenly making a signing like this right now, yet I am hearing that the interest remains and obviously there is the whole Lukaku factor now in the mix.
“Vlahovic would be an unbelievable signing. Do not underestimate what this guy could do in the Premier League. Jackson has had a good pre-season and adds a really nice mix of assets to the attack, but I’m sticking by my opinion that he won’t score more than 15 goals.
Vlahovic has a ceiling much higher than that in my eyes.”
Where Does Vlahovic Fit in at Stamford Bridge?
As previously mentioned, there have already been a couple of new signings in the attacking third this window. Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson have joined from RB Leipzig and Villarreal respectively surrounded by hype and expectations. The former is an injury worry as the start of the new season looms after he was substituted in a recent friendly.
Vlahovic is a very different forward to Frenchman Nkunku, who has been one of the best players in all of Germany over the last couple of seasons. Whereas the latter is of a smaller stature, Vlahovic is 6 foot 2 inches and is of a muscly build. At the same time, the pair are both known for good movement in and around the box and it remains to be seen whether they will play together or not.
Beyond the central forwards, the list goes on for attackers: Noni Madueke, Mykhailo Mudryk and Raheem Sterling to name just a few. If Vlahovic does join the Londoners, Pochettino won’t be short of attacking options that is for sure.
