Chelsea have been one of England’s most successful clubs over the past two decades, but have spent more than half that time desperately searching for a world-class striker.

Didier Drogba was an undoubted success, winning four Premier League titles and the Champions League during his nine years at the club across two separate spells.

But aside from the Ivorian, there have been far more misses than hits. Names such as Fernando Torres, Falcao, Gonzalo Higuain and Alvaro Morata do not bring back many happy memories for Blues fans.

Chelsea believed they’d finally landed their ideal No 9 when they re-signed Romelu Lukaku in 2021, but his return to Stamford Bridge has proved to be a disaster.

He netted just eight league goals in his first season back, and gave an interview to Sky Italia midway through the campaign where he admitted he did not want to join Chelsea and questioned Thomas Tuchel’s tactics.

Romelu Lukaku wants to leave Chelsea this summer, and is eyeing a move to Juventus

Chelsea are interested in signing Juventus’s Dusan Vlahovic in a player-plus-cash deal

He was sent out on loan to Inter Milan last season, and is keen to go back to Italy this season, but to a different club.

Lukaku has snubbed a return to Inter and is now eyeing a move to their rivals Juventus.

Chelsea have sensed the opportunity to get something out of the potential transfer themselves, and have re-opened talks with Juventus over a deal that would see Lukaku move to the Allianz Stadium and Dusan Vlahovic go in the opposite direction.

Chelsea could pay Juventus £38.5m in a player-plus-cash deal, as they look to finally solve their striker crisis that saw them net just 38 league goals last term.

But is Vlahovic the man to lead the line for Mauricio Pochettino’s side, or could he be another flop?

There are some similarities between Vlahovic and Lukaku. Both are physical left-footed forwards standing at 6ft 3in tall, who have spent their recent seasons in Serie A.

The pair have their technical limitations, with Lukaku receiving criticism in the past for his first touch, but they are capable of holding the ball up with their back to goal and bringing team-mates into play, while also being able to run in behind to stretch opposition back lines.

On their day, they can dominate defences. Lukaku thrived at Inter in their title-winning 2020-21 campaign, with his performances earning him his big-money move to Chelsea at the end of the season.

Vlahovic was similarly impressive at Fiorentina, dragging an underachieving side away from the relegation zone.

When looking at the numbers, Lukaku actually has the edge in terms of goals per game in Italy.

Across his two separate spells at Inter, he scored 57 goals in 97 games – that’s 0.59 goals per match. Vlahovic, by comparison, has 61 goals in 140 matches (0.44 goals per game).

There was nothing to separate them last season, with both scoring 10 goals in Serie A for their respective clubs.

Vlahovic thrived at Fiorentina but has struggled to kick on at Juventus in the last 18 months

But Vlahovic is seven years younger than Lukaku, and is hungry to prove why he has previously been identified as one of the most exciting strikers in Europe.

He was heavily linked with a move to Arsenal in January 2022, before eventually opting to join Juventus. In hindsight, he may have made the wrong decision.

When he moved to Turin, he was flying, having scored 17 league goals in the first half of the season at Fiorentina. This followed on from him netting 21 top flight goals in the previous campaign.

Yet his time at Juventus has been underwhelming. The club hoped he would be the player to fire them back to the top of Serie A, but he has scored just 17 goals in 42 league games over the past 18 months, with Juventus failing to challenge for the title during this period.

Vlahovic is not entirely to blame for his slump, though. Massimiliano Allegri has been criticised for his style of play since returning to Juventus two years ago, with his team often appearing to sit back in games to focus on clean sheets, and relying heavily on the counter-attack.

These tactics have left Vlahovic isolated at times, meaning he has struggled to make the same impact that he did at Fiorentina.

Things could be very different at Chelsea. Pochettino is known for his front-foot style from his time at Tottenham, and this would likely result in Vlahovic getting far more opportunities in the penalty area. That is where he is most deadly.

Massimiliano Allegri’s philosophy and tactics have not got the best out of Vlahovic at Juventus

Things may be different under Mauricio Pochettino, who likes his side to play on the front foot

Vlahovic may be left battling for a place with Christopher Nkunku (pictured) if he joins Chelsea

The Blues have also signed Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson this summer, which could be a good thing for Vlahovic. He has been the clear No 1 striker for Juventus over the past 18 months, and may have become too comfortable.

Facing competition for his place should spur him on to improve and show how good he can be, after seeing his career stagnate in Italy.

It may also relieve some of the pressure on Vlahovic to hit the ground running if he does move to west London. When Lukaku arrived, he was expected to deliver straight away, and when he didn’t, Tuchel was left scrambling around for solutions, with neither Timo Werner nor Kai Havertz looking convincing as alternative options.

Nkunku and Jackson have caught the eye in pre-season, and could give Vlahovic time to settle before finding his feet and staking his claim to be Chelsea’s next No 9.

He is still only 23, and this should be viewed as a long-term investment, with the Serbian star having his best years ahead of him.

In the past, Chelsea have often bought strikers in their prime or even slightly past their peak and expected immediate results – Lukaku is a prime example. When it didn’t work out, they quickly moved on and made the same mistake.

Vlahovic does not fall into this category, and could benefit from a change of scenery to give him a new lease of life under Pochettino.

He was one of Europe’s hottest prospects last year, and has certainly not become a bad player overnight.

Todd Boehly has made some questionable decisions as Chelsea owner, but swapping Vlahovic for Lukaku could work out well for the Blues if it finally solves the club’s long-term striker crisis

Chelsea owner Todd Boehly has made a number of mistakes in his first year at the club, with some of the club’s transfer business looking questionable at best.

He has been keen to bring in young players on long-term deals, and alarm bells may be ringing for supporters that he is targeting youth over experience once again.

But he has to do something, with Lukaku making it clear that his future lies away from Chelsea.

Bringing in Vlahovic as a replacement is an intriguing idea, and if the talented forward is convinced by Chelsea’s project, it could prove to be a masterstroke.