Chelsea have now seen a €20m (£17m) bid rejected by Juventus for Dusan Vlahovic – which also included Romelu Lukaku.
That is according to Corriere dello Sport.
So, what is the latest for Chelsea fans to digest when it comes to Romelu Lukaku and Dusan Vlahovic? Let’s take a look…
What’s the story?
Well – according to the Italian news outlet – Chelsea have just made an offer for the Serbia international.
Juventus – who paid £66.6m for Vlahovic – need to offload their No.9 this summer due to financial reasons, and feel the best outcome would be to do business with Chelsea, taking Lukaku as an immediate replacement in return.
Both Chelsea and Juventus remain in talks, and Corriere dello Sport believe the Italian giants can begin to ‘uncork the champagne’ if they receive an offer worth €30m (£26m).
Therefore, the Blues aren’t a million miles away from finding an agreement for the striker, who Pantaleo Corvino – Director of Football at Lecce – once called a “complete” forward.
lukaku vlahovic chelsea
Photo by Denis Doyle – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images
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It is a unique situation where two of Europe’s elite clubs find themselves no longer wanting to keep the strikers they spent serious money on – as aforesaid, Vlahovic was £66.6m, whereas Lukaku cost a £97.5m fee.
The Belgian and the Serbian could certainly use fresh starts.
Lukaku scored just ten goals in 25 Serie A appearances last season, whereas Vlahovic also scored ten goals, albeit in 27 league outings.
Vlahovic deal is a risk for Chelsea after Lukaku struggles
Make no mistake about it – Vlahovic represents a real risk for Chelsea, although a deal for the Serbian seems to be the only way Mauricio Pochettino can get rid of Lukaku this summer.
The Juventus forward – as aforesaid – struggled in front of goal last season, largely due to injury problems which disrupted his campaign.
lukaku vlahovic chelsea
Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images
Vlahovic had an issue with his pubalgia – a problem which Belgian journalist Sacha Tavolieri suggested could even see the striker fail a medical with Chelsea, should a deal be agreed with Juventus.
However, something has to be done about Lukaku, and Pochettino could also do with a new striker, so it is only fair that Chelsea fans give Vlahovic a chance before judging him, despite the red flags.
