Chelsea may get the chance to sign Juventus target Dusan Vlahovic in 2023 with there being a ‘100% opportunity’ he could leave, CBS Sports journalist Ben Jacobs has told GiveMeSport.
The Blues are in the market for reinforcements with manager Graham Potter looking to stamp his authority on the Stamford Bridge club by freshening up his squad.
What’s the latest transfer news involving Dusan Vlahovic?
Recently, TuttoJuve has claimed that Vlahovic ‘continues to have many admirers’ in the transfer market, with Chelsea being one of the clubs interested in luring the Serbian forward away from Juventus. The situation has been made even more interesting following the news that Juventus have been docked 15 points for transfer dealings.
Arsenal has also been touted with an attraction towards signing the 22-year-old, who has impressed this season in Serie A with six goals and one assist from ten appearances, as per Transfermarkt.
Calciomercato previously reported that the Gunners could look to pursue the £63m Vlahovic as an alternative to former target Mykhailo Mudryk, who completed a high-profile move to Chelsea earlier in the transfer window.
Manchester United are also monitoring the situation of the ex-Fiorentina ace, potentially creating a tug-of-war to secure his services. Chelsea has brought in five new additions this month, with Benoit Badiashile, Joao Felix, Andrey Santos, David Datro Fofana and Mudryk already arriving at Stamford Bridge.
What has Ben Jacobs said about the Dusan Vlahovic latest?
CBS Sports journalist Ben Jacobs has stated that there could ‘100%’ chance’ for’ be an opportunity for Chelsea to sign Vlahovic in 2023, though believes his recurring injury issues may be a ‘key factor’ in whether they do end up pursuing a deal.
Jacobs told GMS: “I’ve been told by many people there’s a 100% opportunity for Vlahovic [to leave] in 2023, but time is ticking away in January so I still sense that summer is going to be more likely.
“The other thing that clubs have to understand with Vlahovic is whether the groin injury that he picked up during the World Cup, which Juventus were kind of looking at in a bit more depth and beyond just one injury, is persistent.
“The last thing, for example, Chelsea would want is to go for a player like Vlahovic, who would still come on big money and then find that there’s actually a persistent or chronic injury problem rather than just a one-off.
“It’s hard not to think it might be chronic because, you know, Vlahovic has been plagued by this type of injury before. So, that’s going to be a key factor in all of this as well.”
Would Vlahovic be the striker Chelsea need moving forward?
In light of their shortage of natural strikers at the minute, Vlahovic could be a significant asset to Chelsea if they indeed sanction a transfer either this month or in the summer.
The 22-year-old has scored 98 goals for club and country across his career, as per Transfermarkt, demonstrating a ruthlessness in front of the target that you could argue has been missing at Stamford Bridge this campaign.
His eye for goal has been on full display despite limited minutes on the field this season due to injury, as Vlahovic has had an average of 3.1 shots on goal per match in Serie A, WhoScored has detailed.
Undoubtedly, the amount of time he has spent on the treatment table in the last few months will be a concern for Chelsea boss Potter; nevertheless, the Serbia international would almost certainly be a key contributor for the Blues that would add a new dimension to their forward line.
