One thing this Chelsea squad lacks is a big-name striker. Over the years, large parts of Chelsea’s trophy-laden couple of decades is because of the man they have spearheading the side.
Hernan Crespo, Didier Drogba, Diego Costa, Romelu Lukaku. Players who strike fear into centre-backs and score plenty of goals. Their names go before them, and it instantly puts defenders on the back foot.
That’s what Chelsea lack at the moment. There is no question that Liam Rosenior’s options up front have quality. Joao Pedro has five goals in his last seven games, and Liam Delap starred for Ipswich last term.
What more is he expecting at this stage of the season? 🤔
Darren Bent quote on Chelsea forward Joao Pedro
Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images/James Gill – Danehouse
But Chelsea need a big-name striker; it’s in their DNA. This is a club that wins trophies, and to do so, they need a maverick up front that causes concern for defenders. Well, they are in talks for one big name.
Chelsea have opened talks to sign £200k-a-week striker
According to reports from Italy, Chelsea and Newcastle have made enquiries for Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic. A player who has been linked with the Premier League for years, but never actually arrived.
Well, Vlahovic is out of contract in the summer. On a free transfer, one of Serie A’s biggest household names could be on his way to England. But there is one caveat: he earns a huge £200k a week at Juve.
ACF Fiorentina v Juventus FC - Serie Enilive
Photo by Giuseppe Maffia/NurPhoto via Getty Images
So, for any interested parties, some massive restructuring of the wage list is required for a striker who has managed just six goals this season and has spent almost half the campaign out injured, on the sidelines.
Vlahovic boasts the aura, the calibre that Chelsea fans have come to expect from their leading striker. But is it warranted? Is Vlahovic worth the wage he currently earns at Juventus? The answer to that is no.
Vlahovic signing has potential to ruin Chelsea harmony
Not since the 2021-22 season, the year in which he joined Juventus from Fiorentina in January, has Vlahovic surpassed 20 goals in one season. Is Vlahovic really worth signing on a free, for those wages?
At Chelsea, trio Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez and Levi Colwill all want to discuss a new contract with the club. While Raheem Sterling’s £325k-a-week wages are off the books, it could will have cost £20m.
Raheem Sterling’s departure wasn’t cheap…
For context: Marc Guehi joined Manchester City for £20m in January…
Currently, Reece James earns the most, but signing Vlahovic would see him go level with the club’s second-highest earner in Wesley Fofana on £200,000, according to Salary Sport. Is he really worth it?
For those wages, he would need to match the likes of Drogba and Costa, and ultimately, he doesn’t. If Enzo, Colwill, Caicedo, and others like Cole Palmer see Vlahovic arrive, it could disrupt the harmony.
Why should Vlahovic get paid any more than they do when he’s hardly warranted such wages while in Italy? Signing Vlahovic would not only be an expensive move, but it would also ruin the dressing room.
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