Signing a striker has to be near of Chelsea's wishlist. It is pretty clear that Joao Pedro is not an out-and-out number 9 and is probably at his best while playing with a focal point up top. On the other hand, Liam Delap is out injured for the foreseeable future. And while his return will boost the Blues, one cannot forget that his performances so far have been mediocre at best, with just one goal in 9 appearances since joining in the summer.
Marc Guiu has been brought back from his loan spell at Sunderland but it does not feel like Enzo Maresca trusts him to be a regular contributor. So much so that Tyrique George, who is a natural winger and saw an exit collapse in the summer, has gotten minutes at striker ahead of the Spaniard.
Thus, the situation is far from ideal and one would hope that Chelsea end up signing a striker soon. Earlier, we had talked about reports in Italy linking them with Santiago Castro of Bologna. Now, it looks like another centre-forward from the Serie A could be a potential option for Maresca's team.
As reported by TBR Football, Dusan Vlahovic has told his representatives to explore options in the Premier League, with Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea already receiving approaches. Graeme Bailey said:
"Once again his people are touching base with potential landing spots – Chelsea and Tottenham have been spoken to by intermediaries. Much will depend on whether he wants a ‘pay day’ – he won’t get that in England."
Chelsea hold talks to sign €80m striker who wants Premier League move
Vlahovic's current contract at Juventus runs out in the summer of 2026. So, he could be available as a free agent next summer and on a pre-contract in January. And to be honest, even though he has failed to live up to expectations in Turin, signing him might be a no-brainer if such a deal becomes a possibility.
Vlahovic joined Juventus from Fiorentina for a transfer package north of €80 million. Back then, he was believed to have similar potential to Erling Haaland.
Unfortunately, Vlahovic has not hit those heights at Juventus. His numbers are respectable though as he has scored 62 goals and provided 15 assists for the Turin-based side since his move in early 2022.
Perhaps Vlahovic could rediscover the form he showed at Fiorentina in a different system. So, a move could be well worth considering if you are Chelsea.