Good morning, Free Agents.

This is The Free Transfer. You won’t spend 5 minutes more efficiently today.

What we’ve got for today:

• A new €80mm striker for Chelsea? 💰️

  • Chelsea’s current striker situation 📄 

  • New potential striker 👁️ 

  • Strengths, fit, how they could line up with him 💥 

  • Feasibility of the deal 🧐 

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POCHETTINO’S NEW STRIKER? 🔵👀 

In the past few weeks, it has been rumored that Pochettino’s #1 priority this summer at Chelsea is a new #9.

Chelsea’s current situation at striker 📄 

Aubameyang— 34 years old: SELL

• Likely leaving this summer

Lukaku— 31 years old: SELL

• Likely leaving this summer

David Datro Fofana— 20 years old: LOAN

• Signed in January but never given a real chance.

• Loan likely.

Armando Broja— 21 years old: INJURED

• Showed promise last season on loan at Southampton, but still recovering from a ruptured ACL.

João Félix— 23 years old: END OF LOAN (BUY?)

• Returning to Atletico from loan in summer.

• Would be expensive to sign permanently.

• More a #10 than #9.

Kai Havertz— 24 years old: STAY

• Talented but not sure he’ll ever be a 10-goal striker, let alone a 15-goal one, in the Premier League. More a second-striker/#10.

Long story short, Chelsea need a new #9 if they want to compete next season. So who is it?

Enter, Dusan Vlahovic 🪄 🇷🇸 

Julien Laurens of ESPN, a historically reliable reporter, broke news yesterday that Chelsea made an €80mm offer for Juventus’s Dusan Vlahovic.

Who is Dusan Vlahovic? 🔍️ 

The Serbian striker started his career at his hometown & boyhood club Partizan Belgrade, but moved to Serie A’s Fiorentina at age 18 in 2018.

After moving to Fiorentina, he needed time but caught fire in 2020.

• 20 goals & 3 assists in Serie A 2020-2021

• 17 goals & 2 assists before January in Serie A 2021-2022

In January 2022, Vlahovic transferred to Juventus for a move totalling somewhere around €80mm.

For his standards, life has gotten off to a very slow start at Juve with just 10 Serie A goals in his first full season at the club.

• Many blame Allegri’s defensive playing style for Vlahovic’s slump, & it has led to speculation about his leaving.

Would he be a good fit for Chelsea? 👔👖 

Chelsea’s weaknesses in attack

Finishing

• There are no true “finishers” in the squad.

  • No one to finish ugly, half-chances

  • No one who is willing to get dirty for a goal

• Let’s be honest, neither Havertz nor Felix check this box.

Aerial prowess

• Without Broja, there is no one to consistently win aerial duels.

• This affects the team’s ability to play long from the back, as well as play aerial crosses.

Back-to-goal, hold up play

• Similar to aerial play, Chelsea lack this without a physical #9.

  • This is not to be confused with link play, which Havertz/Felix excel at.

• Having someone who can play back-to-goal is key to getting the offense up the pitch.

Does Vlahovic check these boxes?

Finishing— ✅ 

• Loves to sniff out half chances

  • Tough angles, low percentage chances, ugly goals

• Diverse finishing bag

  • Can hit the ball cleanly on both feet

  • Headers, chips, power, finesse, distance— he can do it all

Aerial prowess— ✅ 

• His 6 foot 3 inch (190CM) height gives him an advantage.

• He has a 45% aerial duel win rate over the past two seasons, which is solid compared to similar physical strikers:

  • Haaland 49%, Lukaku 56%, Osimhen 55%, Kane 45%

• In 2021-22, ~25% of his 24 Serie A goals were headers.

Back-to-goal, hold up play 🤝 

• This is by no means his greatest strength, but something that he is still able to do. He’s not Giroud or Lukaku, but he offers much more than Havertz or Felix

Bonus— pace 🏃 💨 

• One of Vlahovic’s most underrated traits is his pace to get in behind.

  • Once he gets up to speed, good luck catching him.

Overall fit 👌 

Vlahovic could fit nicely into this Chelsea side as their #9. Pochettino is known for developing strikers (see: Harry Kane), & could raise his game to the next level after a disappointing move to Juventus.

His finishing, aerials, & hold-up play could help to unlock the rest of their attack.

• It feels as if Raheem Sterling & Mykhailo Mudryk have been mostly stuck on “idle” since joining the club this season.

• He could help get the most out of Sterling’s chance creation & Mudryk’s directness.

How could Chelsea line up? 🔢 

With the potential signing of Vlahovic & one of the CDMs/#6s that Pochettino is also rumored to want, the side could look something like this.

Pochettino loves to have an attacking midfielder that ghosts behind a physical #9 as almost a second striker. Any of Mason Mount, Havertz, Felix, or Nkunku would really suit that role (see: Dele Alli under Pochettino at Spurs).

How likely is such a deal? 🤔 

Finances 🟩 

Having bought Vlahovic for north of €80mm just over a year ago, Juventus will likely demand equal or more to sell him.

There are reports that Chelsea’s >30 man squad needs to be trimmed down in June, for FFP (Financial Fair Play), before they are able to buy.

• This means that there will be a firesale of players who Pochettino declares surplus to requirements.

Besides that, money seems to be no object for Todd Boehly, who has now shelled out over €750mm in one season for Chelsea…

Likelihood that Juve/Vlahovic would want the transfer 🟨

Allegri has recently reiterated that he will continue as Juve’s manager for next season.

It’s no secret that Vlahovic has struggled in his defensive system.

• Vlahovic could be tempted by a move to another big club with a coach who plays a style of football that suits him better than Allegri’s.

Juventus are currently under investigation for charges of multiple financial crimes.

Considering this & Vlahovic’s slow start at the club after his €80mm move, Juve could look to recoup the €80mm (& maybe even make a profit).

Competition for his signature 🟨 

With many top clubs in Europe in need of a new striker for next season, players like Vlahovic, Osimhen, Kane, and co. will be hot commodities.

Chelsea cannot offer any sort of European football at the moment. Their sell to him would have be that he is the “centerpiece” of their rebuild, in London, & earning huge wages. Transfer fee is unlikely to be an issue.

We’ll have to see how the situation develops over the coming months, but it could be a very promising transfer for Chelsea, Juventus, Pochettino, & Vlahovic.

That’s all for today. See you tomorrow. Same time.

—The Gaffer

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• And once you reach 25 referrals, you get $20 more 

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