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MANCHESTER, England Manchester City showed great character to beat Nottingham Forest 2-0 in the Premier League on Saturday

Back in 2019, Mauricio Pochettino came perilously close to linking up with compatriot Paulo Dybala. The then Tottenham manager had hoped to bring the Argentine to north London to strengthen their frontline following a 2-0 Champions League final to Liverpool a few months earlier. The deal, of course, fell through, as Dybala remained at Juventus before moving to Roma last summer. The 29-year-old was welcomed to the Italian capital with open arms, and he enjoyed a solid debut season at the Stadio Olimpico, scoring 12 goals and providing six assists for Jose Mourinho’s Roma outfit. And yet, Dybala’s time in Rome could already be drawing to a close. The forward has a €12m release clause, active for overseas sides, which is valid until the end of July. That does present the opportunity for a potential link up between Dybala and Pochettino. Chelsea are in the market for another striker this summer, this despite the additions of Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson from RB Leipzig and Villarreal, respectively, and this has led them to Serie A. As per The Independent, Chelsea are exploring the possibility of turning their attention to Italy’s top tier in a bid to bolster their frontline, with Dybala and Juventus hitman Dusan Vlahovic both emerging as potential targets for the Blues. Two different striker profiles, but the reasoning for considering one or the other is sound. The arrivals of Nkunku and Jackson means the Blues are versatile in their approach for another forward, with Dybala operating better as a second striker and Vlahovic considered more of an out-and-out frontman. Initially a move for Dybala perhaps makes more sense financially. €12m for a forward of his calibre is a steal in the modern market, but even if Chelsea are able to pay that release clause, agreeing terms with the player is another matter entirely. Dybala, who turns 30 in November, is said to be happy in Rome, and even if Chelsea could strike a deal with the Argentina international, is he worth the risk? Dybala’s injury issues are well documented, and his fitness concerns meant he started just 22 of a possible 38 league matches for Roma in 2022/23. Furthermore, with the capture of Nkunku, do Chelsea really need a similar forward on the books? The Frenchman, likely Dybala, is able to lead the charge, but is better playing off a striker in the number 10 role, rather than as the lone striker in Pochettino’s favoured 4-2-3-1 setup. As such, why invest so much in Nkunku to then sign an injury-prone attacker who operates in the same role in order to half-heartedly bolster the attack? Chelsea have made a habit of making poor tranfer decisions in recent seasons, but if they are looking to add another forward, then a move for Vlahovic would make more sense. The towering Serb hasn’t quite lived up to expectations at Juventus following his arrival from Fiorentina 18 months ago, but 17 league goals in a disfunctional Old Lady outfit isn’t to be scoffed at. Of course, he’d cost significantly more than Dybala - one report states that Juventus are willing to consider offers in the region of €75m for the ex-Viola man - but at 23 years of age, he’d be a far better investment in the long-term, and match Chelsea’s current approach of signing the best young players. What’s important to note is that Vlahovic is a striker who, to put it bluntly, knows how to put the ball in the back of the net. This was better evidenced during his time with Fiorentina, but is a quality to his game that fans have bore witness too in fits and spurts at Juventus. Summer signing Jackson is another consistent finisher having returned the best conversion rate (29.3 per cent) in La Liga last season, yet Vlahovic’s arrival would afford Pochettino some attacking flexibility. While he did play up front for Villarreal last season, Jackson has been considered a winger in the past. Factor in Nkunku’s ability to play a number of roles on the frontline and Vlahovic’s biggest strength being to operate as the lone forward, and Pochettino would have an impressive array of strikers on the books that each offer something different. So while Chelsea are considering their Serie A striking options in a bid to strengthen in the final third, they should focus their efforts on Vlahovic rather than Dybala if the Blues do have their heart set on raiding Italy for another frontman this summer. Read More Chelsea target two Serie A players in quest for experienced strikers Mauricio Pochettino explains Chelsea ‘risk’ as club enters new era Mauricio Pochettino tells Chelsea to banish last season and deliver from day one Chelsea target two Serie A players in quest for experienced strikers Mauricio Pochettino explains Chelsea ‘risk’ as club enters new era Arsenal transfer news: Record Rice bid, Timber and Xhaka latest

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Eddie Hearn has suggested that Anthony Joshua could box on the same card as a potential clash between Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn, with the promoter talking up the possibility of a December date. Briton Joshua has been in talks over a heavyweight fight with Deontay Wilder, though that bout now appears unlikely to take place in December – as was originally discussed – and “AJ” may instead box a different opponent at the end of this year. According to his promoter Hearn, Joshua could fight in Abu Dhabi on 23 December, possibly on the same card as a long-awaited bout between compatriots Eubank Jr and Benn – who is also promoted by Hearn. 23 December is one of the rumoured dates for Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk, the undisputed heavyweight title fight that was announced last week. Benn vs Eubank Jr was originally set for October 2022, but the bout collapsed just days before fight night, upon the revelation that Benn had failed two drug tests in the run-up to the contest. Benn, 26, was subsequently stripped of his licence by the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC) and charged by UK Anti-Doping (Ukad), though the World Boxing Council cleared the unbeaten welterweight of any intentional wrongdoing. Later, the National Anti-Doping Panel lifted a provisional suspension on Benn, though the BBBofC and Ukad have appealed that move. As such, the Briton is still unable to fight in the UK, though he returned to the ring with a win over Rodolfo Orozco in Florida last month. It is likely due to his inability to box in the UK that Hearn’s proposed super-card featuring Eubank Jr and Joshua would take place in Abu Dhabi. Joshua, 33, last boxed in August, knocking out Robert Helenius after initial opponent Dillian Whyte failed a drug test. After Joshua’s win, it was revealed that Helenius had also failed a pre-fight drug test. Meanwhile, Eubank Jr most recently fought in September. The 34-year-old stopped Liam Smith to avenge a TKO loss to the Liverpudlian. Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk undisputed rematch ruled out after major call Anthony Joshua training with former Tyson Fury coach ahead of potential Deontay Wilder clash Let’s get ready to rumble! Inside the ropes with boxing’s ring announcers

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