Chelsea still appear to be looking for a new striker this summer, with Mauricio Pochettino keen to further strengthen his front line next season

Mauricio Pochettino could put together the perfect starting lineup for Chelsea with the signing of Paulo Dybala. The 29-year-old forward has been heavily linked with his departure from AS Roma this summer after a handful of high-profile performances.

Dybala, who will see his contract at the Stadio Olimpico expire in 2025, made 25 appearances for Jose Mourinho’s side in Serie A last season, directly contributing 19 goals. His impressive performances for the Italian giants have reportedly sparked interest from some top clubs across Europe and he could be available for as little as €12m (£10.3m).

According to Italian journalist Matteo De Santis, quoted by RomaPress, Chelsea are considering a move for Dybala, which was expressly requested by Pochettino. The report said Roma are not worried about the Blues’ interest and remain confident of keeping it next season.

That said, football.london has examined what the Blues could be like under Pochettino after just two major transfers.

Training

Pochettino is known for his progressive approach. Over the years he has mostly preferred a 4-2-3-1 that resembles a 4-3-3 in attack and a 4-4-2 in defense.

Doorman

Despite the occasional flashes of brilliance, Kepa has struggled to impress since he joined Chelsea for a record fee a few years ago. But with Pochettino looking happy with Spanish for now, the Blues are prioritizing other business.

Defence

Ben Chilwell should be favored at left-back next season, with Reece James playing a mirror image at right. As a centre-back, Pochettino has a wealth of options at his disposal in the form of Levi Colwill, Benoit Badishile, Wesley Fofana and Thiago Silva.

Midfield

If Chelsea can team up with Enzo Fernandez and Caicedo, the Argentinian can finally move up to No.

8. The South American duo can play a double pivot and sit behind Christopher Nkunku, who is likely to support Nicolas Jackson as a lone striker. In the absence of the Frenchman, Dybala can substitute and play a similar role. As for the wings, Mykhailo Mudryk should be used as an outlet on the left side.

However, the 22-year-old faces stiff competition from Raheem Sterling. On the right, Noni Madueke is a strong option, but the arrival of Dybala would certainly throw a spanner in the works.

Attack

Chelsea have been in desperate need of a dynamic striker for some years. The Blues struggled to replace Didier Drogba and Diego Costa, with only Olivier Giroud coming close to success.

In the next season, Pochettino will have Nicolas Jackson and Armando Broja at his disposal. While Dybala would probably prefer some sort of key role, he’s unlikely to remove Nkunku from the No. 1 role. 10 or any of the aforementioned duets atop the surprise lineup.
Queue

Kepa Arrizbalaga; Ben Chilwell, Levi Colwill, Wesley Fofana, Reece James; Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo; Mykhailo Mudryk, Christopher Nkunku, Paulo Dybala; Nicola Jackson.

More news………

Following the Moises Caicedo talks, Chelsea experiences transfer setbacks with Arsenal and Liverpool.

This summer, with Chelsea concentrating on Moises Caicedo, Arsenal and Liverpool have both surpassed the Blues in the race to sign highly regarded Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia.

In the race to sign Romeo Lavia from Southampton this summer, Arsenal and Liverpool have both edged out Chelsea.

football.London has learned that Chelsea and Saints had preliminary discussions about a potential transfer for the Belgian midfielder last month, but interest has reportedly waned recently. With Manchester City having a £40 million buy-back option that becomes available next summer, Southampton is asking for £50 million for Lavia.

The 19-year-old defensive midfielder is still a target for Chelsea, but at the moment, at least in terms of the midfield, they are focused on Brighton’s Moises Caicedo. The Ecuadorian international, who has verbally agreed to move to Stamford Bridge on personal terms, has recently reopened negotiations with the Seagulls.

Chelsea’s challenge, however, is reaching a deal with Brighton, who have a reputation for being shrewd negotiators when it comes to offloading their star players in recent transfer windows. Caicedo’s desire to leave the team was discussed with Roberto De Zerbi throughout the season, but Brighton are asking for around £80 million for him, and Chelsea do not want to pay that amount as a one-time fee.

As they have done over the past 12 months with players like Enzo Fernandez, Mykhailo Mudryk, and Wesley Fofana, the Blues would prefer to structure the deal in a different way. When negotiating with Brighton, the residents of west London would want to add extras and potential bonuses.

Chelsea’s attention has been directed toward acquiring Caicedo, so their interest in Lavia has been put on hold—at least for the time being. Following the Saints’ relegation to the Championship, both Liverpool and Arsenal have recently spoken with Southampton to discuss the future of the Belgian international.

The Gunners intend to make a move for Lavia in the upcoming weeks while also completing the more than £100 million acquisition of Declan Rice. Ahead of the upcoming season, Liverpool, who has already added Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai to their midfield ranks, is also looking to add Lavia.

Football was informed by a source.
This is bad news for Chelsea as it follows reports from London that negotiations with Liverpool regarding a move to Anfield have “gone well” lately. Although Chelsea hasn’t been completely eliminated from the running, the Lavia deal is becoming less and less likely as time goes on because Caicedo is now the center of attention.