Chelsea could be poised to hand Xabi Alonso a major boost in attack with the capture of Dusan Vlahovic. The Juventus striker is widely expected to leave the Serie A club this summer as a free agent after contract talks broke down, according to Sky Sports Italia.
Italian media outlets also suggest Alonso, who is gearing up for his debut campaign at Stamford Bridge, has identified the forward as a priority given the Blues’ shortage of options up front.
Their struggles in front of goal was among the key factors behind their dismal 10th-place finish in the Premier League this season. While Joao Pedro enjoyed an impressive debut campaign with 20 goals across all competitions, Liam Delap and Marc Guiu managed just four goals between them in 54 appearances.
With Emmanuel Emegha due to arrive in west London this summer from Strasbourg, a shake-up of Chelsea’s striking department appears to be high on the agenda for the ex-Real Madrid boss.
Vlahovic hasn’t exactly lit up European football since his £66million switch to Juventus in 2022. Yet he’s still notched up an impressive tally of 68 goals in 168 outings for the Turin outfit. At 26 years old, it’s reasonable to suggest his peak years lie before him.
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Another element of the deal that makes it particularly appealing for the Blues is that they won’t be required to pay a transfer fee for the soon-to-be free agent – a devastating setback for Juve considering their substantial outlay on him.
Not needing to allocate a significant sum for the Serbia international – who has netted 136 career goals for club and country – means Alonso will have the flexibility to channel resources towards strengthening other parts of the squad.
View 2 ImagesXabi Alonso will return to the Premier League next season(Image: Fadel SENNA / AFP via Getty Images)
The Athletic reports that the Spaniard is on the verge of completing his first signing as Blues manager with Atalanta wing-back Marco Palestra close to finalising a deal to join Chelsea. And Vlahovic makes sense to become the second.
The Premier League evolved into a more combative competition this season with greater emphasis placed on set-pieces, which would suit Vlahovic’s qualities as a mobile target man.
His 6’3″ stature means he’ll be a real handful and his capacity to spin and run at defenders, combined with his instinct for a clinical finish, could see Alonso possess the ideal striker for the modern Premier League.
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