Chelsea have been dealt a huge blow in their pursuit of Juventus star Dusan Vlahovic. The Serbian striker is reportedly considering leaving the Italian giants this summer with the Blues among the clubs interested in signing the 23-year-old.
Mauricio Pochettino is keen on signing a new striker despite the arrivals of Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson this summer. Italian journalist Rudy Galetti has revealed that Pochettino sees Vlahovic as the perfect man to lead the line under his stewardship.
Galetti told GIVEMESPORT: “The Blues could make a concrete move for the Serbian, especially because the next manager, [Mauricio] Pochettino, considers Dusan the ideal striker for his tactical idea. The player likes the destination and reaching an agreement on personal terms wouldn’t be a problem."
Vlahovic scored 14 goals in 42 appearances across all competitions for the Italian club last term - five more goals than Kai Havertz and Raheem Sterling who finished the campaign as the Blues' joint-top goalscorers. The Serbian striker joined Juve in January 2022 following a prolific spell with Fiorentina after snubbing a switch to the Premier League to join Arsenal.
The Gunners and Manchester United are among the clubs ready to compete with Chelsea for Vlahovic's signature. Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid are also thought to be keen on signing the 23-year-old.
A report from Italian news outlet Corriere della Sera has stated that Chelsea have made their first attempt to sign Vlahovic as Pochettino continues to look for a new forward after the arrival of Jackson from Villarreal this summer. The report adds that Juve have rejected an offer of €60million (£51.5million) from the Stamford Bridge side for the ex-Fiorentina man.
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The 23-year-old still has three years remaining on his current contract with Juventus, bu the Italian outfit could be open to selling their star striker if they receive a fee in the region of £77million - £11million more than what they paid for him last year. According to Calciomercato, Vlahovic is eager for a new experience and his agent Darko Ristic has held talks with United, Arsenal and Chelsea over a potential move to England.
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