Arsenal & Chelsea in transfer battle over to sign £70m star, tough negotiations ahead as Chelsea owner set to over pay the price to get the deal done by JANUARY
According to TuttoJuve, Arsenal and Chelsea could be willing to pay £70 million to sign Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic.
The Serbian was heavily linked with a move away from the Bianconeri last summer. There were suggestions that he could join Chelsea in a part-exchange deal for Romelu Lukaku, but a transfer did not materialise due to differences in the valuation. This has not ended the speculation over his future and TuttoJuve now claim that Arsenal and Chelsea are interested in signing him.
The Italian website add that the London giants could be willing to pay £70 million for his services, but it may not be enough to persuade Juventus into a sale. The Serie A giants could demand up to £87 million for the striker, who has had a fine start to the season, and negotiations are expected to be difficult. Juventus are currently planning contract talks with him amid his impressive form.
Difficult deal
Chelsea had the opportunity to land Vlahovic in a player-plus-cash deal involving Lukaku, but they were not convinced over a transfer. Their decision was justified, considering the Serbian had a difficult 2022/23 season plagued by injuries and lack of form. He netted only 14 goals in all competitions for Juventus.
The 23-year-old has had a good start to the current campaign with 4 goals in 6 games, but he is currently out of action with a back injury. Hence, there is always a risk associated with the striker. His recent injury record is a warning sign for interested clubs and we simply don’t see Chelsea or Arsenal spending £87 million on him.
Instead the duo could focus on landing Brentford’s Ivan Toney, who could be available for a lesser fee. The Englishman is currently serving his eight-month ban for breaching FA betting rules but he can play again from January 17. He has started training with the Bees and recently scored in a closed-doors friendly too. His proven Premier League scoring record would make him a vastly better signing than Vlahovic, who has been injury-prone for a while.
