A host of Premier League clubs are searching for strikers in the transfer market this summer, with several sides in need of a reliable source of goals.
Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal are among those understood to be considering centre-forward additions, with goalscorers often commanding the largest of transfer fees. Serie A appears an attractive shopping destination for Premier League clubs right now and a number of the division’s top forwards have been linked with English sides.
Here are five Serie A strikers on the radar of Premier League clubs this summer.
Victor Osimhem
Victor Osimhen is the headline name from Serie A’s goalscoring options, following a brilliant season for champions elect Napoli.
Luciano Spalletti’s side are on the verge of winning the Scudetto for the first time since 1990, thanks in large part to the performances of Osimhen this season. The Nigeria international is the league’s leading scorer and has found the net 21 times in 26 appearances for Napoli this season, form which has piqued the interest of Europe’s top clubs.
Cometh the hour, cometh the man ????
Victor Osimhen rises highest to put Napoli in full control ????#UCL pic.twitter.com/oMKyM3EgKF
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 15, 2023
Chelsea, Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich have all been linked with Osimhen, who has formed a devastating understanding with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
Napoli will demand a fee in excess of £80m for the forward, who has all the attributes required to succeed at the highest level. Osimhen is dominant in the air and possesses a huge leap to get above defenders, while he boasts explosive speed and an ability to finish emphatically off either foot.
Osimhen has earned cult status in Naples and his side are under no pressure to sell the forward, who earlier this season admitted his ‘dream’ to play in the Premier League and revealed how he idolised Didier Drogba. Willing to battle defenders with pace, power and fight, there are similarities between Osimhen and the Chelsea legend.
Rasmus Hojland
A Scandinavian striking sensation rising rapidly in one of Europe’s top five leagues? It feels like we’ve been here before.
Ramus Hojland has earned the inevitable Erling Haaland comparisons after a breakthrough season, with the 20-year-old turning the heads of top clubs after an impressive emergence at Atalanta. Signed from Sturm Graz last summer, Hojland has hit eight goals in all competitions for the Italians this season.
He hit the headlines in March with an explosive start to Euro 2024 qualification with Denmark, as the forward marked his full international debut with a hat-trick against Finland. Hojland followed that performance with two goals against Kazakhstan to make it five goals in just two starts at international level.
???????? Rasmus Højlund = hat-trick hero ????
Incredible performance from the 20 year-old on his first start! ????@dbulandshold | #EURO2024 pic.twitter.com/Cor26HBtsL
— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) March 26, 2023
Tall, left-footed and with blistering pace, the comparisons with Haaland are easy to make, even if Hojland is yet to demonstrate the same level of production. Atalanta manager Gian Piero Gasperini discussed Hojland’s potential after the forward’s match-winning performance against Lazio earlier this season.
“Hojlund has this spirit, energy, intensity, but also technical quality that is just remarkable,” Gasperini said.
“He still has so much margin for improvement, too. He has very similar characteristics to Haaland, not just his face. He is so quick, he’s under 11 seconds over 100m and that’s not even trying very hard.
“Considering his height, he has a low centre of gravity and can move his legs very fast. I am convinced he’ll have a great career, he just gets stronger every day.”
Tammy Abraham
Tammy Abraham could be line for a Premier League return this season after two successful seasons at Roma.
Abraham signed for Roma in a £34m deal from Chelsea after struggling for status in west London and was an instant hit during his debut campaign. He scored 28 goals in all competitions as Roma won the Europa Conference League under Jose Mourinho and became the first English player in three decades to score 10+ goals in a Serie A season.
Tammy Abraham bags a huge goal for Roma!! ????
The race for top 4 is seriously hotting up now! ???? pic.twitter.com/nmsd34f4Oo
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 29, 2023
Abraham has been unable to replicate that form this season and is understood to be open to a return to the Premier League, as he looks to earn a permanent place in Gareth Southgate’s England squad.
Aston Villa – where Abraham had a successful loan to fire the club to promotion in 2018/19 – are reportedly interested in a deal, while Manchester United, Tottenham, Arsenal, Newcastle and Chelsea are said to have tracked his progress in Rome.
Dusan Vlahovic
Dusan Vlahovic turned down a move to the Premier League last season, as the forward rejected Arsenal’s advances to sign for Juventus from Fiorentina.
Vlahovic has struggled for consistent form since his €70m arrival in Turin, while turbulence off the pitch has made his long-term future uncertain.
TAKE A BOW DUSAN VLAHOVIC ????
The Serbian gives Juventus the lead with a stunning free-kick just 76 seconds into the match ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/ei3ULrK9DD
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) August 27, 2022
The entire Juventus board, including president Andrea Agnelli, resigned from their roles in November after an investigation into the club’s finances. Juventus were hit with a 15-point deduction that threatened their place in next season’s Champions League as a result of the investigation, but this has since been overturned on appeal.
However, the case is not closed and the uncertainty could prompt Vlahovic into pushing for an exit. Arsenal remain interested in signing a centre-forward with physical presence, while Manchester United and Chelsea are also in search of recognised firepower. The 23-year-old has scored 53 league goals since the start of the 2020/21 and fits the bill.
Paulo Dybala
Roma secured the signing of Paulo Dybala on a free transfer from Juventus last summer and the forward has proven to be an inspired signing for the capital club.
Dybala has scored 16 goals and laid on a further eight assists in all competitions for Roma, who are competing for Champions League qualification and into the Europa League semi-finals. Despite a strong season with Jose Mourinho’s side, Dybala could move on as a result of a release clause included in the contract signed last summer.
Paulo Dybala scores a wonderful goal from outside of the box for Roma.
Pure quality. pic.twitter.com/7ugRUSPoSD
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) September 12, 2022
The 29-year-old’s deal reportedly includes a release clause of €20m for rival Serie A clubs and just €12m for foreign sides, with 90min reporting that the Argentine’s representatives having touted his services to several English clubs in a bid to gauge interest.
Dybala has won five Serie A titles and scored more than a century of goals in Italy’s top division. There will be few players of his talent available for such little outlay this summer.
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