Chelsea have switched their attention to a new striker target ahead of the January window after deals for Ivan Toney, Victor Osimhen and Viktor Gyokeres have seemingly fallen flat.
While Chelsea have been admirers of Brentford’s Toney, Arsenal seem to be the frontrunners in the race to capture the 27-year-old at this stage.
Sporting Lisbon forward Viktor Gyokeres has been another name linked with Chelsea, but the 25-year-old seems to be settled in Portugal for the time being.
Likewise, a deal for Osimhen seems unlikely in January, especially after the Napoli forward recently penned a fresh deal with the Italian club. Chelsea could still sign him in the summer, but they are exploring alternative targets for January.
As reported by Sport Mole, Chelsea are now among the clubs looking at AZ Alkmaar forward Vangelis Pavlidis. The 25-year-old has been in prolific form this season, having already scored 22 goals across all competitions.
AZ Alkmaar picked up Pavlidis back in 2021 and his record of 69 goals in 118 appearances is mightily impressive. The Greek forward is under contract until the summer of 2025 and Chelsea could look to strike a deal in the January window.
Along with Chelsea, the report also names Fulham as one of the interested clubs that have sent scouts to watch Pavlidis in recent weeks.
AC Milan were reportedly unsuccessful with a bid of around £13million in the summer and the Dutch outfit are expected to hold out for around £22m to consider his sale in January.
Chelsea need to get January window spot on
Given that Chelsea currently sit mid-table in the Premier League, they must get their January business spot on. As things stand, Chelsea are 14 points adrift of the top four having only won three of their last 10 matches.
Under Todd Boehly, Chelsea have predominately gone after young targets and while they have managed to pick up some gems, such as Cole Palmer, the recruitment has had mixed results of late.
While Pavlidis is by no means a veteran of the game, he is older than the likes of Jackson and Washington. Pochettino recently discussed his plans ahead of January and admitted he is open to signing players with and without experience.
“The Sporting Director and us, we are always talking and assessing – if we need to do something, we’ll be ready,” Pochettino told Sky Sports. “The pressure is always to bring young talent, and we have different types of targets – with experience, without experience, some younger than others and that’s what it takes to provide the team with what it needs.
“We need to be open to describing the situation. Always communication is really good with the owners, we’re sharing everything. It’s about sharing ideas; we need each other to express our vision in a way that’s a positive statement for the club.
“If we need to add, we do it together, in a way that takes the best decision for the club.”
Given Pavlidis has never played in the Premier League, it is tough to predict if he would be able to immediately adapt. However, his prolific record for AZ makes him a player of interest and it’s easy to see why Chelsea like the look of him.