Chelsea‘s pursuit of Romelu Lukaku is set to come to an end after having two bids for the Belgian forward rejected by Inter Milan.
According to Talk Sport, Inter Milan are not prepared to sell their prized asset this summer at any cost, with Lukaku himself keen on prolonging his stay with the Serie A champions.
Chelsea will thus have to focus their attention elsewhere as they look to strengthen their frontline ahead of the new season.
Let’s take a look at three players Chelsea should target this summer in order to bolster their Premier League title challenge:
#1 Jonathan David (Lille)
Jonathan David played a starring role in Lille’s Ligue 1 triumph last season. The 21-year-old scored 13 goals in 37 appearances, setting the record for the most goals scored by a Canadian in any of Europe’s top five leagues.
Lille are under pressure to sell some of their top players due to their financial condition. They have already shipped out the likes of Mike Maignan and Boubakary Soumare, and David could be the next to leave.
English sources tell @TSN_Sports, if Lille look to sell Canadian striker Jonathan David to raise funds because of the club’s financial challenges, Liverpool has David very high on the team’s list of potential strikers. Liverpool has long kept tabs on the Canadian’s development.
— Matthew Scianitti (@TSNScianitti) August 2, 2021
The Canadian is blessed with tremendous pace and dribbling ability. He is direct and likes to make darting runs into the box, keeping defenders on their toes. He is not the greatest of finishers but at 21, he has plenty of time to work on that aspect of his game.
He will undoubtedly be a smart long-term acquisition for Chelsea.
#2 Dusan Vlahovic (Fiorentina)
The 21-year-old Fiorentina striker is widely considered one of the most promising young attackers in the world.
Vlahovic shot into the spotlight with his prolific displays for the Italian club last season; he scored 21 goals in 37 league appearances, becoming the first player from Fiorentina to score at least 16 goals in a domestic campaign since Giuseppe Rossi in 2013-14.
At 6’3″, Vlahovic will add an aerial threat the Chelsea side lack following Olivier Giroud’s departure; last season, the Serbian won 3.1 aerial duels per game. He is also technically sound and can link up well with his teammates.
#3 Danny Ings (Southampton)
Danny Ings will be available for a bargain considering he’s in the final year of his contract. Ings has been in phenomenal form for Southampton the past few seasons and has attracted the attention of several top European clubs.
18 #PL goals ago…#OnThisDay last year, Danny Ings joined his boyhood club @SouthamptonFC permanently 😇 pic.twitter.com/HVn5GDlZMP
— Premier League (@premierleague) July 1, 2020
The 29-year-old England international has scored 46 goals and provided 10 assists in 100 appearances for Southampton, fantastic numbers for a team that finished in the bottom half of the table the last three seasons.
Ings struggled during his last spell at a top club — he managed just four goals in 25 appearances for Liverpool — and he will be itching to prove he has what it takes to succeed at the highest level.