Chelsea are potentially willing to pay around £70 million for a club's "lightning" star striker, but it isn't Ivan Toney.
Will Chelsea sign anyone in January?
As widely reported, Mauricio Pochettino's side are weighing up the possibility of signing a centre-forward for 2024 amid a lack of confidence in their current attacking options. Despite spending nearly £400 million in the summer on an array of new signings, Chelsea didn't bring in a world-class striker to lead the line. Nicolas Jackson has arguably struggled since joining from Villarreal, while Armando Broja is unlikely to notch Chelsea a considerable amount goals in the same vain as some of world football's best.
As a result, it has been reported that the likes of Brentford star Ivan Toney and Napoli striker Victor Osimhen are being considered as marquee options to strengthen Pochettino's attacking ranks. A report from TEAMtalk this week even claimed Osimhen is seen as a very realistic potential signing for Chelsea, coming after Pochettino expressly request the club bring in a new forward.
Speaking earlier this year in April, pundit Michael Owen urged the club to bring in an experienced goal-getter.
“The most incredible thing is that you can spend £500-something million or whatever they've spent in recent times and the most important position on the pitch they've not even touched,” Owen said.
“That they can get all these great players and spend a fortune and the one position really that you to be investing the most money in and making sure is an absolute perfect fit is a centre forward.
“I think they've scored 29 goals in 29 games this season. It's unbelievably poor. I know Lukaku will be coming back at the end of the season, it'll be interesting to see what happens there, but my suggestion would be that they're going to have to go into the transfer market one more time."
Dusan Vlahovic news
Now, according to Italian news outlet Tutto Juve and journalist Massimo Pavan, sharing the latest Dusan Vlahovic transfer update, it is believed that Chelsea may now be "willing" to fork out around £70 million to sign the Juventus striker. That is the Serbia international's market value, but the same report says his club are set to demand much more than this. Vlahovic's price tag may even come in at around £90m.
The former Fiorentina star has scored four goals and registered an assist in six Serie A matches alone this season; rediscovering his past form at La Viola. Vlahovic, to further highlight his quality, has also been praised by former Man City defender Micah Richards – who called him a "lightning" striker.
Finishing
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“I have watched him a couple of times now,” Richards told BBC Radio Five Live (via The Independent) in 2021.
“He is lightning. It’s ridiculous. He has got 16 in 18 this season. His left foot is like a wand. I am telling you now, he is everything, he is everything you need.”
