Juventus have proposed the idea of sending striker Dusan Vlahovic to Chelsea in a deal which would see Romelu Lukaku move in the opposite direction, 90min understands.
After Inter abandoned their interest in a reunion with Lukaku, Juventus reached out to Chelsea to propose a loan deal for the Belgian but saw their offer instantly rejected, with a temporary departure not in Chelsea’s plans.
Sources have confirmed to 90min that the Turin outfit have now returned with a fresh proposal, offering Chelsea the chance to land Vlahovic as part of their push to offload Lukaku.
Chelsea are known admirers of Vlahovic and made contact with the striker’s representatives earlier this summer as part of their search for a new striker. Nicolas Jackson was signed from Villarreal but Blues boss Mauricio Pochettino recently confessed he would be interested in adding another new striker.
In negotiations, Juventus have made it clear that they would want Chelsea to pay a fee on top of swapping Lukaku, and the Blues are now considering their options as they seek to finally cut ties with their wantaway striker.
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Lukaku still retains interest from Saudi Arabia but the 30-year-old wants to remain in Europe and dreams of a return to Italy, where Juventus are his only viable suitors after Inter walked away from talks.
The Belgian’s representatives are now pushing hard for an agreement with Juventus and there is hope that the chance to sign Vlahovic, who managed ten goals in 27 Serie A outings last year, could help accelerate a deal.
Chelsea do have a number of names on their radar, including versatile Ajax star Mohammed Kudus. Personal terms have been discussed with the Ghana international, who played as a midfielder under former boss Erik ten Hag but exploded when switched to striker last season.
Summer signing Jackson has impressed in pre-season alongside fellow new face Christopher Nkunku, while 21-year-old Armando Broja is hopeful of returning from his ACL injury to hand Pochettino even more options in attack.
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