Chelsea transfer news: Blues make 'formal contact' to sign Liam Delap upgrade

Chelsea have reportedly made 'formal contact' with the agents of Dusan Vlahovic ahead of his exit from Juventus this summer.

The Serbia international has entered the final few weeks of his contract with the Old Lady, and discussions over a renewal failed to lead to a positive solution.

As a result, Vlahovic will leave Juventus as a free agent on June 30, four-and-a-half years after memorably turning down Arsenal to sign for the Bianconeri from Fiorentina.

The Gunners have been persistently linked with the 26-year-old ever since, but with Viktor Gyokeres and Kai Havertz on the books, they are not expected to make a serious play for his signature this summer.

Instead, CaughtOffside laims that Chelsea have now touched base with Vlahovic's entourage, and the Blues are one of the most 'advanced contenders' for the former Fiorentina man.

Chelsea make 'formal contact' to sign Dusan Vlahovic

Chelsea and Newcastle United are leading the Premier League charge for Vlahovic, who has already turned down the chance to move to the Saudi Pro League.

Elsewhere, Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Real Madrid, AC Milan and Napoli have all been touted as possible destinations, the former two on the hunt for Nicolas Jackson and Robert Lewandowski replacements.

However, interested parties have been warned that Vlahovic's financial demands - including a significant salary and signing-on fee - could present a roadblock in their efforts to secure a deal.

The 26-year-old reportedly wanted a base salary of £7m per season plus bonuses at Juventus, but the Old Lady were only ready to offer him £5.6m a year, and talks subsequently broke down.

Vlahovic will leave Juventus having scored 68 goals and provided 16 assists in 168 appearances for the club since his £73.8m move in January 2022, but he managed just 10 strikes in an injury-hit 2025-26 season.

Comparing Dusan Vlahovic and Liam Delap amid Chelsea transfer interest

Vlahovic should not come in at Chelsea and immediately usurp Joao Pedro, who established himself as the Blues' focal point last season with 29 goal involvements across all competitions.

Instead, the 26-year-old should act as a Liam Delap replacement, as the Englishman has struggled to adapt to life at Stamford Bridge, scoring a mere two goals in 41 games last term.

Delap has since been linked with a £30m move to Fulham, and Vlahovic would be a statistical upgrade on the current Chelsea man, who netted just once in 28 Premier League games compared to Vlahovic's seven in 19 Serie A matches in 2025-26.

The Serbian also posted a marginally better shots-on-target percentage of 47.4% to Delap's 42.3%, and his conversion rate of 14.3% is far superior to Delap's meagre 2.8%.

Furthermore, Vlahovic registered more touches in the box (83 to 67) and a better ground duel success rate (43.6% to 37.6%) in domestic leagues last season, but whether he would be content playing the Delap role at Chelsea is another question entirely.