Four strikers Chelsea should be scouting at Euro 2024 | OneFootball

Chelsea are in the market for a centre-forward this summer as the Blues look to provide competition for Nicolas Jackson at number nine.

The Senegalese striker scored 17 goals during his debut season at Stamford Bridge but attracted criticism for wastefulness in the final third. Chelsea continue to be linked with signing a striker and Euro 2024 will serve as a huge shop window.

We’ve looked at four strikers Chelsea should be scouting at Euro 2024.

Benjamin Sesko (Slovenia)

Benjamin Sesko is said to feature highly on Chelsea’s wanted list for the summer transfer window and the Blues are pushing for a deal to sign the Slovenian striker. Sesko caught the eye despite a struggle to nail down an automatic role at RB Leipzig last season, having joined from sister-club Red Bull Salzburg the previous summer.

After biding his time behind Lois Openda and Yussuf Poulsen in the season’s opening months, the 21-year-old exploded across the second half of the campaign. He ended 2023-24 with 14 league goals from just 1532 minutes of action and scored in each of Leipzig’s final seven league games to fire the side to Champions League qualification.

A selfless runner with a tall (6ft 5in) and athletic frame, Sesko’s smarts in the area have seen Chelsea and Arsenal emerge as frontrunners for his services. With a release clause of £55m that will expire at the end of June, the Londoners will need to move quickly to sign the forward this summer. He will have a chance to prove himself against Premier League opponents, when Slovenia meet England in the Euro 2024 group stage on June 25.

Dusan Vlahovic (Serbia)

Another forward who will come face-to-face with England at this summer’s tournament, Dusan Vlahovic will spearhead Serbia’s challenge at Euro 2024. Vlahovic will take on England in his side’s opening fixture as part of a formidable forward line alongside Aleksandar Mitrovic.

The 6ft 3in powerhouse has been a long-term target for Premier League clubs and finished as runner-up to Lautaro Martinez as Serie A’s leading scorer in 2023-24. Vlahovic has netted 61 goals across the last three seasons for Fiorentina and Juventus and has 13 in 27 caps for the national team.

Linked with an exit last summer, his future could hinge on how he fits into the plans of the club’s new manager, as Juventus close in on the appointment of Bologna boss Thiago Motta. The sale of the Serb could bring in the funds required to rebuild in Turin.

Artem Dovbyk (Ukraine)

Artem Dovbyk announced his arrival in Europe’s top five leagues with a stunning season at Girona. The Ukrainian signed from Dnipro-1 for a fee of €7m last summer and proved to be one of the signings of the season in La Liga.

The 26-year-old scored 24 league goals to win the Pichichi Trophy as Spain’s leading scorer, becoming the first non-Barcelona or Real Madrid player to win the award since Diego Forlan for Atletico Madrid in 2008/09.

He added eight assists as Girona secured shock Champions League qualification and ranked in the elite bracket of La Liga forwards for xG (97th percentile), non-penalty xG (96th percentile), successful take-on percentage (99th percentile) and attacking penalty area touches (91st percentile) per 90 minutes.

Dovbyk, whose release clause is around €40m (£33.75m) could be an attractive option if he shines in a successful tournament for Ukraine.

Goncalo Ramos (Portugal)

Paris Saint-Germain spent an initial €65m to sign Goncalo Ramos from Benfica but the forward endured a frustrating first season in Ligue 1.

Having scored 27 times for Benfica in 2022-23, in addition to four goals and a hat-trick at the winter World Cup in Qatar, Ramos netted just 14 in all competitions for PSG. Form and fitness issues plagued the Portugal international in Paris, who struggled to dislodge Kylian Mbappe and Randal Kolo Muani from the team.

He improved across the run-in, though noises of PSG interest in Victor Osimhen could leave Ramos facing an uncertain future, even given Mbappe’s move to Real Madrid. Still just 22, he has all the attributes to be a long-term focal point at Stamford Bridge.

Read – A 26-man squad of players England snubbed for Euro 2024

See more – Five England eligible players representing other nations at Euro 2024

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