Mauricio Pochettino wants to add more firepower to his Chelsea squad (Picture: Getty)
Mauricio Pochettino has been warned against making a move for Chelsea transfer target Paulo Dybala by Danny Murphy.
The new Blues boss is keen to add extra firepower to a squad that lacked the presence of a consistent goalscorer last season.
Romelu Lukaku spent last term on loan at Inter and is desperate to return to the Serie A club on a permanent basis, while his replacement, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, was frozen out by Graham Potter following Thomas Tuchel’s sacking.
World Cup winner Dybala joined Roma from Juventus 12 months ago and scored 12 goals in 25 league appearances for Jose Mourinho’s side.
The 29-year-old is reported to have a £10million release clause in his contract and Pochettino is understood to be keen on brining his compatriot to Stamford Bridge.
Roma forward Paulo Dybala has emerged as a Chelsea transfer target (Picture: Getty)
Such a move has been advocated by the likes of Thiago Silva and Enzo Fernandez, but former England international Murphy believes the money it would take to sign Dybala would be better spent addressing Chelsea’s current lack of midfield options.
He told Vibe with Five: ‘He’s a quality player, but do they need another player who is a 10, a winger, a striker?
‘They need a striker, they have got them but they need a proper established one. Kane would do them, not that he’s going to go there. I’m not sure they need it.
‘They need midfielders because Kante has gone, Kovacic has gone, Loftus-Cheek has gone and Mount has gone. Depending on Financial Fair Play, I think Chelsea want to be prioritising other positions.’
Chelsea have already confirmed the arrivals of Nicolas Jackson from Villarreal and France international Christopher Nkunku, but Murphy fears the former will struggle to earn a starting spot in Pochettino’s preferred XI.
He added: ‘He’s not ready, but I’ve seen some super finishing from him (Nkunku) last season but I’m not sure where he’s going to play.’
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He could be a potential bargain!