Chelsea won't be signing Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic in the summer transfer window, according to an update from journalist Fabrizio Romano.
What is the latest Vlahovic transfer news?
The 23-year-old Serb is arguably one of Europe's top young strikers, having initially made a name for himself at Fiorentina, where he scored 49 goals in 108 appearances for the Serie A outfit.
Vlahovic's form there earned him a move to Juventus, where he has continued to shine in general, netting 23 times in 63 outings, including 10 in the league last season. That being said, there seems to be a fair chance that he will leave his current club this summer, even though his contract runs until the summer of 2026.
Chelsea have been linked with a move for the attacker, with a new central option vital this summer, especially with Kai Havertz joining Arsenal and Romelu Lukaku looking increasingly likely to leave the Blues for good. Now, a new update has emerged regarding Vlahovic's future - and it is one that may disappoint some supporters.
What has Romano said on Vlahovic to Chelsea?
Taking to Twitter, Romano claimed that Chelsea are no longer in the race to sign the attacker this summer, with Paris Saint-Germain now looking his most likely option:
"Understand Dusan Vlahovic is NOT part of Chelsea list. No negotiations and no talks - Juventus bid for Lukaku hasn’t changed Chelsea stance. As revealed one week ago, the only club actively working on Dusan Vlahovic deal is Paris Saint-Germain. Talks on, NO bid yet."
This is a shame to hear from a Chelsea perspective, with Vlahovic someone who could have been ideal at Stamford Bridge to lead the line with a combination of power, technical ability and ruthlessness in front of goal.
At 23, the 21-cap and 13-goal Serbia international would have been a long-term acquisition rather than a quick fix in west London, and his aforementioned goalscoring records speak for themselves.
With Vlahovic seemingly out of the picture now, it is absolutely essential that Chelsea still see a centre-forward as a priority this summer, with that area of the pitch proving to be such an issue last season. Havertz was their top scorer in the Premier League with just seven goals, and it played a part in a woeful campaign that eventually saw the Blues finish an unthinkable 12th place in the table.
Links surrounding Chelsea and Napoli striker Victor Osimhen seem to have gone quiet, but the Nigerian would be the perfect alternative to Vlahovic in the coming weeks - in fact, he would arguably represent the stronger option of the two, having blasted 26 goals in just 32 appearances for the Italian giants in 2022/23 en route to them winning a first Serie A title since 1990.
There is still time for the Blues to seal a marquee signing down the middle of their attack, but they could do with sorting the situation sooner rather than later, considering their league opener at home to Liverpool on 13th August is now less than a month away.