Chelsea can sign Champions League striker for just £20m with three stars fired warning | OneFootball

Chelsea have been told Dusan Vlahovic is theirs if they offer Juventus a bargain fee of £20million (€23m / $26m) in the January transfer window, according to a report.

Transfer insider Graeme Bailey has told The Chelsea Chronicle that the Blues have been ‘offered’ Vlahovic’s services by the striker’s agent. Vlahovic has entered the final year of his Juve contract and is on the hunt for a new club, opening up the possibility of a cut-price winter deal.

His priority is to move to the Premier League for the first time, with Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur seen as frontrunners.

Dusan Vlahovic: Achievements so far

Chelsea and Spurs are both ‘on alert’ as Vlahovic’s value has fallen significantly to that £20m fee due to his contract situation. Juve previously demanded at least £66m (€75m / $87m) to sell the Serbian as they wanted to make all of their money back on him.

Bailey claims Vlahovic has dropped his wage demands to help facilitate his next move and achieve his dream of starring in England.

As per Bailey, he ‘didn’t want to take a wage drop’ during previous talks with interested clubs but has since changed that stance. Vlahovic currently earns a reported €427k (£376k / $497k) per week.

Chelsea weighing up Vlahovic opportunity

The 25-year-old allegedly was not a fan of previous Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino, but he is eager to become part of Enzo Maresca’s project at Stamford Bridge.

Plenty of reports have linked Vlahovic with a move to either Chelsea or Spurs, so this latest update is likely true.

It emerged on October 11 that Chelsea have held ‘talks’ with his camp, kickstarting a potential move.

But Chelsea must be wary of Spurs as they are reportedly leading the chase for Vlahovic.

Signing could rock the Chelsea boat

Vlahovic moving to Stamford Bridge would mark a big shift in Maresca’s striker options.

As things stand, Liam Delap, Joao Pedro and Marc Guiu are the three main centre-forwards in the Italian’s squad, following the summer exit of Nicolas Jackson.

Delap is about to return from a hamstring injury, but the arrival of Vlahovic would quickly push him down the pecking order.

Pedro’s Chelsea career got off to a brilliant start, though the goals have since dried up. This has seen Maresca move the Brazilian into the No 10 role and place more trust in Guiu.

Cole Palmer is Chelsea’s first-choice No 10 when fit, however. If Vlahovic were to come in as Chelsea’s new No 9, then Pedro and Guiu would find it much tougher to pick up starts.

Guiu was briefly on loan at Sunderland before being recalled after Delap’s injury. He has a bright future ahead of him but may need another loan move if Chelsea land a new goalscorer in January.