Blues pursuing striker amid Nicolas Jackson struggles
The Blues were dealt a blow in their Champions League pursuit on Sunday, succumbing to a surprise 2-2 draw at home against Ipswich Town, who are almost certain to be relegated from the Premier League.
Enzo Maresca will be frustrated by his side dropping two points at home against the Tractor Boys, and the manager may also be disappointed by Nicolas Jackson’s performance, with the striker once again failing to find the back of the net.
After missing one big chance, Jackson was substituted late on, but the 23-year-old’s replacement, Christopher Nkunku didn’t have time to make much of an impact, with the Frenchman failing to add to his goal tally of three in the Premier League.
With Jackson and Nkunku both struggling, it is looking increasingly likely that Maresca will look to bring in a new striker this summer, and Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap has emerged as one of the main targets.
However, according to a report from Caught Offside, Chelsea could also look to bring in a striker from abroad, and they are now very keen on signing Juventus’ Dusan Vlahovic, who could be allowed to leave the Italian club this summer.
Juventus may be open to sanctioning Vlahovic’s departure, in light of his huge wages, which could open the door for a move to the Premier League, with Arsenal and Manchester United also seriously interested in the Serbian.
The Serie A side are looking to receive €50m – €55m (£43m – £48m) for the forward, while the Premier League clubs may be willing to submit offers of €45m (£39m) for his services.
| Chelsea’s upcoming fixtures | Date |
| Legia Warsaw (h) | April 17th |
| Fulham (a) | April 20th |
| Everton (h) | April 26th |
| Liverpool (h) | May 4th |
| Newcastle United (a) | May 10th |
Vlahovic may not be the answer to Chelsea’s striker issues
Across spells with Fiorentina and Juventus, the Serbia international has been very impressive in Italy, amassing 86 goals and 17 assists in 198 Serie A appearances, while he also has 14 goals in 34 outings for his country.
During his time with La Viola, the 25-year-old was lauded as a “real superstar” by members of the Italian media, and he has put in some impressive performances this season, amassing 19 goal contributions in all competitions.
That said, there will be concerns over some of the striker’s performances over the past year, having underperformed his non-penalty xG by some distance, averaging just 0.31 goals per 90, despite being expected to average 0.43.
As such, Vlahovic may not be the answer to Chelsea’s striker problems, and it could be wise to pursue other targets who have been in better form this season, such as Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres.
