Chelsea are weighing up a bid for Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic, according to TuttoJuve.com.
However, that may be not enough for Juve, especially after Vlahovic’s improved form this season, which has seen him score 13 goals in 22 league appearances.
Tutto Juve report that the Bianconeri may demand as much as €80m (£68.5m) to sell the 24-year-old when the transfer window reopens this summer.
Chelsea could have signed the forward last year
It was reported by Fabrizio Romano back in August that Juve were willing to do a swap deal involving Romelu Lukaku and the Serbian.
However, at the time, it was believed that Chelsea would have to pay €40m plus Lukaku in order to secure Vlahovic’s signature. It would be interesting to know whether such a part-exchange deal could be revived.
Lukaku has scored 16 goals for Roma this campaign, but the Giallorossi don’t have a purchase clause for the Belgian, which means he could still end up back at Stamford Bridge at the end of the season.
Vlahovic would be a cheaper alternative to another Serie A player
It is widely believed that Napoli’s Victor Osimhen is the Blues’ no.1 target. However, they will have to pay the Nigerian international’s €130m (£111m) release clause if they want to snap him up.
Considering that Vlahovic would cost at least £40m to £45m less than Osimhen, Chelsea may feel that the Juventus striker is the more attractive target.
He has scored 5 more goals than the Napoli player this campaign, although he has played 6 more games. In addition, going for the cheaper option would also help the club stay in line with the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability rules.