Chelsea have the perfect welcoming gift for Dusan Vlahovic if they can wrap up a deal for the Juventus striker. The 23-year-old has been heavily linked with a move to Stamford Bridge recently as Mauricio Pochettino hopes to further bolster his frontline this summer despite having already signed Nicolas Jackson.
Vlahovic, who sees his contract at the Allianz Stadium expire in 2026, featured 27 times for Juventus in the Serie A last season, finding the net ten times. Despite somewhat struggling in front of goal, the Serbia international has reportedly courted the interest of the Blues.
According to Italian outlet Corriere della Sera, the Old Lady rejected an opening bid from Chelsea for Vlahovic worth around €60million (£51.5m). The report states that Juventus could be open to offloading the Serbian if their £77million asking price is met – £11m more than what they paid for him last year.
With a disparity in valuations, Romelu Lukaku has emerged as a potential makeweight. Corriere dello Sport outlines that the Italian giants have informed the west Londoners that they can sign Vlahovic for just €25million (£21million) if the Belgium international is included a player plus cash swap deal.
The report states that Lukaku has already told Juventus that he's open to a move, so now Massimiliano Allegri's side are expected to try and close a deal by offering up the Serbian. If Chelsea can get their hands on Vlahovic then they have the perfect welcoming gift ready for his arrival – the No.7 shirt.
N'Golo Kante vacated the jersey earlier this summer after jetting off to Saudi Arabia following the expiration of his contract. Coincidentally, Vlahovic assumed the No.7 shirt when he joined Juventus in 2021 and replaced Cristiano Ronaldo.
"I know the weight of the number 7 shirt, but all Juve shirts weigh heavy," said the Juventus ace, as quoted by the Mirror. "I am here to help my teammates and make myself available. Only all together can we achieve our goals. What counts is how we get on the pitch, not so much the numbers on the shirts."
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While Vlahovic won't be expected to fulfil the 'Kante role' in midfield for Chelsea, the striker is certainly aware of the responsibility which comes with donning the No.7. The No.7 has been previously worn by footballing icons such as Ramires, Andriy Shevchenko, Didier Deschamps, Brian Laudrup and Dennis Wise – among others too!
