Chelsea fell to defeat in the Premier League for the first time since the opening day of the season as they were beaten 2-1 by Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday.
The Blues had not lost since they were beaten by Manchester City at Stamford Bridge in their first league game of the campaign, and had not lost a game in any competition since their 2-1 loss to Servette in the Europa Conference League play-off in August.
Goals from Mo Salah and Curtis Jones either side of half-time were enough to secure all three points for the home side in the clash on Merseyside, as Enzo Maresca’s team failed to offer enough in front of goal.
Nicolas Jackson struck his side level just after the break with a composed finish after being sent through on goal by Moises Caicedo, and he hit the post with his only other effort.
The Senegal international has now scored five goals in eight Premier League matches for the Blues this season, after a return of 14 goals in 35 outings in the division during the 2023/24 campaign.
Despite his strong start in the top-flight this term, Chelsea are reportedly looking to potentially bring in another centre-forward to compete with him.
Chelsea's interest in Serie A star
According to The Boot Room, Chelsea are interested in Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic as they eye up targets ahead of the January transfer window.
The report claims that the Blues have already made contact with the Old Lady to ensure that they are kept informed about his situation heading into the new year.
It states, however, that Premier League rivals Arsenal are also keen on the Serbia international and that they have also been in touch with the Serie A side to keep tabs on the attacker.
The outlet reveals that Juventus are in talks over a new contract with the striker but that they would be open to cashing in on him in 2025 if they cannot reach an agreement to extend his deal, which is currently due to expire in the summer of 2026.
CaughtOffside recently claimed that there is a feeling that Juve could be tempted to sell him for around €60m (£50m) if he does not put pen to paper on an extension.
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However, it remains to be seen whether or not Chelsea or Arsenal are willing to put that kind of money on the table to secure his signature when the January transfer window opens for business, or at the end of the campaign.
Why Chelsea should sign Dusan Vlahovic
Maresca should push for the club to secure a deal for Vlahovic because he is a proven goalscorer who has been a lethal finisher in Europe in recent years.
Since the start of the 2018/19 campaign, the Serbian marksman has scored 82 Serie A goals from an xG tally of 81.16, for Fiorentina and Juventus combined, which shows that he has been efficient in front of goal given the quality of chances created for him.
Whereas, Jackson has scored 34 goals from an xG tally of 34.94 in LaLiga and the Premier League for Villarreal and Chelsea combined, which shows that he has not made the most of the opportunities that have come his way.
In the 2023/24 campaign, the Senegal international only scored 14 goals from 19.86 xG – underperforming his expected tally by almost six goals.
Vlahovic, therefore, could come in and offer more efficiency in the final third, due to his superb all-round finishing quality that has been on show in Italy in recent years.
Starts
27
Goals
16
Free-kicks scored
2/7
Left foot goals
8
Right foot goals
5
Headers scored
3
As you can see in the table above, the 24-year-old star scored a wide range of goals in the Serie A last term, with two free-kicks, three headers, five weak foot goals, and eight on his strong foot.
Teammate Teun Koopmeiners claimed that Vlahovic “lives for goals” and his impressive record in front of goal, and the versatility with which he scores goals, backs up that claim.
With this in mind, the Juventus sensation could arrive at Stamford Bridge as a dream signing for current Chelsea attacking midfielder Cole Palmer, due to his creative genius.
Why Dusan Vlahovic would be a dream for Cole Palmer
As shown by his statistics for Fiorentina and Juventus, Vlahovic is a lethal and versatile scorer who can consistently find the back of the net in a variety of ways.
That makes him a dream for a creative midfielder or winger because they know that they can provide him with service in a multitude of ways and know that he can make the most of it, rather than needing a specific type of chance – a cross to his head, a through ball, or a cut-back – to score.
Palmer is a sensational creative threat who can consistently provide his teammates with high-quality chances to find the back of the net, which means that he could give Vlahovic plenty of opportunities to score.
Appearances
34
Goals
22
Assists
11
Big chances created
17
Key passes per game
2.1
As you can see in the table above, the England international only registered 11 assists from 17 ‘big chances’ created in the Premier League last season, as his teammates did not make the most of his creativity.
He ranked within the top 4% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the division for Expected Assisted Goals per 90 (0.38) and the top 8% for shot-creating actions per 90 (5.57).
This season, Palmer, who has created nine ‘big chances’ in eight games, ranks within the top 2% of his positional peers in the division for Expected Assisted Goals per 90 (0.51) and the top 2% for shot-creating actions per 90 (5.65), which shows that he has upped his creative quality slightly on current form.
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These statistics suggest that Vlahovic and Palmer could combine to make a lethal pairing at the top end of the pitch for Chelsea, which is why the £50m-rated striker could be a terrific signing for the Blues in January.