Chelsea have been reportedly offered Dusan Vlahovic by Juventus in exchange for Romelu Lukaku and a transfer fee.
The Pensioners have spent around £85million on both Nicolas Jackson and Christopher Nkunku already this summer, with the forward duo performing well in the pre-season tour of the United States, but Mauricio Pochettino remains open to recruiting another attacker before the transfer window slams shut.
According to reliable Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea are receptive to the idea of Romelu Lukaku joining Juventus, paving the way for Dusan Vlahovic to move to Stamford Bridge in exchange.
Lukaku, 30, does not have a future at Chelsea and favours a move to Juventus, with Max Allegri very keen to add the Belgium international to his forward line for the upcoming season. This would result in the Turin side giving Vlahovic the green light to leave.
Despite a hot and cold 2022/23 season, Vlahovic, 23, managed 14 goals in all formats for Juventus which has caught the attention of Mauricio Pochettino, who is understood to be seeking a centre-forward signing in the next couple of weeks.
Dusan Vlahovic to Chelsea—Should the Blues push for Vlahovic-Lukaku swap deal?
Chelsea had initially not considered using Lukaku in any swap deal, but right now Juventus are the only interested club in the 30-year-old striker after the player burnt bridges with Inter Milan. Lukaku spent last season on loan at Inter, and while he was heavily linked with a permanent return to San Siro this summer, the Nerazzurri have withdrawn their interest and are focusing on signing West Ham’s Gianluca Scamacca instead.
This has left the Belgium international in limbo as Pochettino looks elsewhere to address Chelsea’s goalscoring problems next season. Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic has been linked with a move to Chelsea of late.
It’s no secret that Max Allegri doesn’t have the best relationship with Vlahovic, who has struggled to perform at the highest level in Juventus since moving from Fiorentina 18 months ago. In a season full of ups and downs for Juventus—on and off the pitch—the Serbia international still managed 14 goals in all competitions.
Strong in the air and ruthless in front of goal, Vlahovic would be a good fit in Pochettino’s system at Chelsea. He has the talent and the technical attributes to succeed in the Premier League and Pochettino could get the best out of him after his mixed 18 months at Juventus. A move away from Juventus could give the Serbian an opportunity to regain his confidence and mojo with which he plundered goals left, right and centre during his Fiorentina days.
However, if Chelsea want the swap deal to go through, they should be willing to pay an additional €30-35m on top of giving Lukaku to Juventus due to the age difference between the players.