Chelsea have reportedly made contact over a move to sign a new forward, however, Todd Boehly and co may need to act fast to seal a bargain transfer.
Chelsea target new striker
The Blues and manager Mauricio Pochettino are on the hunt for a new forward in 2024, despite bringing in Nicolas Jackson from Villarreal over the summer.
Related
January transfer window: All the confirmed deals from England and Scotland
It’s shaping up to be a busy month…
The Senegal international is currently away at the Africa Cup of Nations but has scored eight goals in 23 appearances in all competitions at Stamford Bridge.
There hasn’t been a shortage of attacking names linked with a move to London, with recent rumours claiming the club have held “positive” talks with the entourage of Napoli’s Victor Osimhen.
Juventus’ Dusan Vlahovic is another who has been internally discussed at Stamford Bridge, whereas AS Roma’s Paulo Dybala is another rumoured target. Recent reports claimed that Chelsea were looking at tabling a formal offer for the World Cup winner over the coming days, and it seems as if a first move has now been made.
Paulo Dybala transfer update
Sport Witness relayed an update from Italy regarding the future of Dybala on Wednesday, claiming three Premier League clubs have now made contact with the forward’s agent.
Chelsea, Aston Villa and Newcastle are the three sides in question, with clubs in Saudi Arabia also keen on the Argentine. The report adds ‘that times are tense at AS Roma, because his €13m (£11.1m) release clause for foreign clubs will expire on January 15th’.
It looks as if Chelsea have until Monday to activate the release clause, and you could argue that just over £11m would be a steal for someone of Dybala’s quality.
Now 30 years of age, he can play as a second striker, centre-forward, winger or attacking midfielder, so would provide plenty of versatility for Pochettino in the final third. He’s also starred at the highest level, winning the World Cup with Argentina in 2022 while also winning the Serie A title on five occasions.
Appearances | Goals | Assists | |
|---|---|---|---|
Juventus | 293 | 115 | 48 |
Palermo | 93 | 21 | 16 |
Roma | 56 | 24 | 14 |
Instituto | 19 | 9 | 0 |
Argentina | 38 | 3 | 7 |
Dybala has also come in for praise throughout his career, including from Italian icon Francesco Totti, who said of him after joining Roma:
“I am happy that he joined Roma because he deserves it and because the city must have a player of his value. You can understand when players are special, he’s proving so with great performances. We are happy to have it at Roma, we are enjoying his performance.”
A transfer could therefore be one to keep an eye on over the coming days following this latest update, with a move to England seemingly a real possibility with multiple clubs circling.
