Julien Laurens has backed Mauricio Pochettino and Chelsea to sign Juventus striker and Arsenal transfer target Dusan Vlahovic this summer.
The European football expert added that Dusan Vlahovic is ‘perfect for Chelsea‘ and he is a player that Mauricio Pochettino can build his team around, as he told ESPN.
But whilst Chelsea look for that all-important number nine ahead of the new Premier League season, it has been suggested that the 23-year-old has held talks with Arsenal.
Mikel Arteta is trying to take Arsenal to the next level after missing out on the Premier League title last season, with adding quality in depth as the main target.
A player of Vlahovic’s power and goalscoring ability would provide that in abundance because it could be argued that if he moved to the Emirates, then he starts straightaway.
But the same could be said for Chelsea, who have struggled to score goals for over 12 months, with Laurens backing a move to Stamford Bridge.
“I think, for Pochettino who needs a striker, we talked about Nicolas Jackson coming in, who is still very raw and very young, not that much kind of experience at that level, then I think Vlahovic is an upgrade on Nicolas Jackson, of course,” said Laurens.
“Vlahovic would tick a lot of boxes for what Pochettino wants. He’s got the intelligence. He has a great left foot. I think he would do really well in the Premier League and at Chelsea.
“Remember, at Juventus, he was in a team that wasn’t playing football. They weren’t there to create chances for their striker. It was dire from Allegri’s team.
“I think he needs to go. Even mentally, he must be drained by that season he just had. It was so difficult. At Fiorentina, the team was built around him. You go to Chelsea, that’s exactly what Poch wants. He wants a nine he can build around – I think he would be perfect for Chelsea.”
Vlahovic would elevate Chelsea
It’s pretty clear that Romelu Lukaku, once he returns from his loan spell at Inter, will want to head straight back out of the Chelsea door.
It’s best that Chelsea just get rid and bring in someone that would bring a fresh vibe to the club’s number nine role.
Vlahovic brings that in bucket loads, on top of aggression and a style that would allow many around him to take their game to the next level.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
