Chelsea 'send scouts to watch Girona striker Artem Dovbyk'

The La Liga outfit have made an unforeseen phenomenal start to the 2023-24 campaign, amassing 45 points from their first 18 matches to sit second in the table, only behind Real Madrid on goal difference.

The contributions of Ukrainian attacker Dovbyk have been instrumental in Girona's exceptional start to the new term, with the 26-year-old netting 11 goals and providing five assists in 17 top-flight matches.

Dovbyk sits joint-third in the La Liga scoring charts with Atletico Madrid's Antoine Griezmann, while only Getafe's Borja Mayoral (12) and Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham (13) have netted more.

The Ukraine international only joined Girona from SK Dnipro-1 on a five-year contract over the summer, but he is unsurprisingly being linked with an early exit from the La Liga high-flyers owing to his prolific exploits.

According to The Sun, Chelsea have been alerted to Dovbyk's performances in the top tier of Spanish football and have sent representatives to keep a close eye on his performances throughout the new term.

Dovbyk stands at 6ft 2in tall, and Mauricio Pochettino is said to be particularly attracted to his imposing frame as he aims to add some height to his Chelsea ranks during the January transfer window.

The attacker's deal with Girona runs until the end of the 2027-28 season, but he is understood to have a close relationship with Ukraine teammate Mykhaylo Mudryk, whom he speaks to every day.

Dovbyk and Mudryk are also represented by the same agent, which could help further facilitate a move for the Girona attacker, who is said to be valued at €45m (£39.1m) by his current club.

Chelsea are not short of options in the final third of the field right now, having added Deivid Washington, Nicolas Jackson and Christopher Nkunku to their squad over the summer, while Armando Broja is also at Pochettino's disposal.

Broja's development at Stamford Bridge has been hindered by a serious knee injury sustained during the 2022 World Cup break, but he penned a new contract at Stamford Bridge at the start of last season and has 14 senior appearances to his name this season.

However, the 22-year-old only has one goal and one assist to show from those 14 matches and made just his fifth start of the season against Luton Town on December 30, where he was taken off just after the hour mark.

Despite his recent extension, the report adds that Chelsea will be open to offers for Broja during the January transfer window, as the Albania international is pining for more game time in the second half of the new term.

The Blues are also due to lose Senegal international Jackson to African Cup of Nations duty and are prioritising the signing of a new striker this month, although moves for Brentford's Ivan Toney and Napoli's Victor Osimhen will likely prove too difficult to facilitate.