Chelsea are seemingly too focused on negotiations over the potential transfer of Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo to do anything more concrete on Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic for the moment.
That’s what’s being suggested by transfer news expert Fabrizio Romano in the latest edition of his exclusive CaughtOffside column, with Vlahovic also attracting interest from other clubs such as Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich.
Chelsea have issues up front and a signing like Vlahovic could be important for the Blues as they look to improve on last season’s disastrous performances.
The Serbia international hasn’t quite been at his best for Juve, but his form at former club Fiorentina shows that he’s got immense potential and he’d surely be an upgrade on flops like Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Romelu Lukaku at Stamford Bridge.
Still, it seems that talks with Caicedo are Chelsea’s main priority, with midfield also an area that needs strengthening after the departures of both N’Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic this summer, as well as Jorginho back in January.
“Chelsea are not currently in talks over Dusan Vlahovic because they are only focused on Moises Caicedo, I keep repeating that because it’s what I know,” Romano said.
“Negotiations and verbal exchanges are ongoing with Brighton, and so there are no talks for Vlahovic at this stage. There is nothing concrete to report on this, just appreciation for the player by Chelsea and Bayern (and Thomas Tuchel in particular), but no concrete negotiations.
“I’m told PSG had contacts on Tuesday to be informed on conditions of Vlahovic deal, they really like Vlahovic but they have three or four options on their list for the new striker so let’s see what they decide to do in terms of bids.”
On Chelsea exits, Romano added: “Chelsea are still hoping for Hakim Ziyech to revive his move to Saudi Arabia, or to find another solution in Europe. Meanwhile, they’re also still waiting for Inter to submit a new proposal for Romelu Lukaku, and they want to sell Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as well. Auba’s wages are an issue for many European clubs, and this is why Chelsea are hoping to find a solution with Saudi clubs.
“Callum Hudson-Odoi has decided to leave Chelsea for a new challenge, and discussions are ongoing over his future – he is another Chelsea player with approaches from Saudi clubs, but his priority is to stay in Europe.”