Juventus Open to Dusan Vlahovic's Move to Chelsea
In a revelation from Juventus sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli, the Italian club had a willingness to let Dusan Vlahovic don Chelsea's blue this summer. This drew interest from Chelsea, as their manager, Mauricio Pochettino, sought to strengthen the team's attacking firepower.
Pochettino, who recently took the reins at Chelsea, made it clear that Romelu Lukaku, the club's record signing from two years ago, didn't fit into his plans. Talks of a swap deal between Lukaku and Vlahovic surfaced, but they never materialized. Instead, Lukaku found himself loaned to Serie A's AS Roma.
However, Giuntoli disclosed that the stumbling block in this transfer saga was Chelsea's reluctance to meet the Serie A side's asking price for the 23-year-old Serbian striker.
"There was an offer from Chelsea for Vlahovic," the club's sporting director told La Repubblica. "We didn't want to part with Dusan, but faced with certain figures, we would have accepted. Chelsea never reached that amount, and the swap did not materialize."
With Vlahovic remaining in Turin, Chelsea turned to summer signing Nicolas Jackson to lead the line. However, Jackson's Premier League goal tally stands at just one in his first six appearances for the club.
Despite their summer signings, Chelsea is expected to remain active in the transfer market. Pochettino aims to have a more significant role in the club's January transfer business. Potential targets reportedly include Brentford's Ivan Toney and Napoli's Victor Osimhen.
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