Dusan Vlahovic: 'Chelsea's Harry Kane'
Sam McGuire
- 2 Aug 2023 14:00 BST
- 5 min read
Despite bringing in Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson this summer, Chelsea are reportedly looking to add another centre-forward to their ranks.
The Blues turned down the opportunity to sign Dusan Vlahovic earlier in the transfer window but are now believed to be open to the idea of bringing the 23-year-old to Stamford Bridge. According to multiple reports, the Premier League side are in talks with Juventus over a potential cash-plus player swap involving Vlahovic and Romelu Lukaku.
Chelsea paid €113 million to bring the Belgian back to the club in 2021 but he is now viewed as surplus to requirements. He’s currently training alone and wasn’t part of the first-team squad for the club’s pre-season tour of the US. Lukaku spent last season on loan with Inter but the beaten Champions League finalists decided not to make the switch a permanent one after becoming angered by Lukaku negotiating with rivals Juventus behind their backs.
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Now he’s being shopped around as the Blues look to get him off of their books. The Juventus proposal seems to be that Chelsea will exchange the 30-year-old along with €30m to land Vlahovic.
The Juventus No.9 has failed to really live up to expectations following his big-money move in January 2022. Having plundered 38 goals in his final 58 appearances for Fiorentina, interest was high in the 6ft 3in forward. He reportedly turned down a host of teams, including Arsenal, before securing a transfer to Turin.
Vlahovic has struggled with form and fitness since the move. He scored 10 in 27 last term and his Serie A total for Juventus now stands at 17 in 42. In his defence, he hasn’t had the most stable environment over the past 18 months. Juve aren’t the team they once were.
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Yet the powerhouse forward has managed, for the most part, to retain his value. He has a top-end ETV (Estimated Transfer Value) of €64.5m.
You can understand why new Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino might be keen.
It was under his guidance that Harry Kane developed into one of the most feared strikers in the world. While Jackson does have the potential, and he’s shown his ability in pre-season, he’s a little behind Vlahovic right now. The 22-year-old has just one season of senior football in a top five league under his belt and despite his 12-goal haul for Villarreal, his form was streaky and he did have an injury issue that kept him out for two months. So the sample size for him isn’t exactly large or reliable.
Pochettino does have Nkunku at his disposal but the Frenchman is extremely versatile and can play a number of attacking positions. He cannot, however, transform himself into a brutish No.9.
Kane was a focal point of his Tottenham side under Pochettino so it makes sense for him to want a centre-forward of that profile to play a key role for his Chelsea team. Now, Vlahovic isn’t yet as well-rounded as the England captain without the ball but that can be worked on. He is, however, just as devastating in and around the penalty area.
The currency in the Premier League is goals and the 23-year-old has the ability to cash in. He has a wide range of finishes in his locker and was really able to showcase them during his time with Fiorentina.
Vlahovic was powering headers past goalkeepers, scoring tap-ins at the back post, following play in to hoover up chances around the penalty spot and even firing free-kicks into top corners. He feasted during transitional moments and this is something Chelsea should be good at under the one-time PSG tactician.
He could spearhead the attack with pace on either side of him and Nkunku playing as the No10 in a 4-2-3-1. On paper, it works. On paper, a lot of players end up in their best positions.
If he’s able to rediscover his confidence and his Fiorentina form, the Blues end up with someone who could fire them into the top four. At worst, they end up with a squad option that can rotate with Jackson and will hold some resale value. It isn’t necessarily a win-win for them but if they’re able to get in someone who is better suited to Pochettino’s system than Lukaku, it is a positive, right?
