Chelsea 'see £52m Dusan Vlahovic bid rejected'

The 23-year-old moved from Fiorentina to Juve in January 2022 after a prolific spell of goalscoring for Viola, netting 49 goals in 108 appearances for the 2023 Europa Conference League finalists.

Ten goals in 27 Serie A appearances in the 2022-23 term represented a steady first full season for the Serbian in Turin, however the forward has been linked with a move away from the club this summer.

According to football.london, Chelsea have seen a £52m bid for Vlahovic rejected by Juventus, with new Blues manager Mauricio Pochettino looking to bring in a recognised number nine to his squad.

The Blues have already added to their offensive options this summer by signing Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson from RB Leipzig and Villarreal respectively.

Despite this, it is understood that the former Tottenham Hotspur boss views Vlahovic as someone who could lead the Chelsea attack for many years to come, however the West Londoners are said to have competition for his signature.

Mikel Arteta's Arsenal and Erik ten Hag's Manchester United are two of the Premier League clubs also keen on the striker, although the Gunners' interest may have cooled following the arrival of Kai Havertz from Chelsea last week.

The Red Devils often used loan signing Wout Weghorst as their central-attacking option last term, and with the Netherlands international now back at parent club Burnley, United are looking for an out-and-out striker to help them contend in the Champions League next season.

With three years left on his current deal at Allianz Stadium, Juventus are not prepared to allow Vlahovic to leave for less than their asking price of £77m, meaning Chelsea's bid of £52m fell significantly short.

The striker himself is said to be keen on leaving the Italian club in order to take on a new challenge elsewhere, with the player's agent Darko Ristic reportedly having held talks with Man United, Chelsea and Arsenal over a potential move.

There is also understood to be interest in the attacker from around Europe, with Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich all keeping tabs on the player's situation.

Los Blancos are in the market for a new striker after club legend Karim Benzema left for the Saudi Pro League, and the same can be said for Bayern, who are yet to replace Robert Lewandowski since the Pole departed for Barcelona last summer.

Vlahovic has scored 23 goals in 63 appearances since making the switch from Fiorentina in January 2022, and he was the Old Lady's top scorer last term as they finished seventh in Serie A, earning Europa Conference League football.

Juve could have provided the Serbian with Champions League football next term if they had not received a 10-point deduction from the Italian football federation in May for false accounting.