Red Star Belgrade striker Richmond Boakye is interested in joining Chelsea in January.

The Blues are looking to buy another forward, having missed out on Fernando Llorente in August, and Boakye has emerged as a target after scoring 18 goals this term.

The club sent a scout to watch the 24-year-old against Arsenal in the Europa League a fortnight ago and will monitor the return tie on Thursday.

Chelsea coach Antonio Conte was in charge when Juventus bought Boakye as a teenager in 2012, although he was loaned out for the next two seasons before joining Atalanta.

After being asked about the possibility of joining Chelsea, Boakye (right) said: “I am playing well, so we’ll see who will contact me. If I’m going to play for Chelsea, then I’ll go. I’m having fun and I’m playing at my best.”

Chelsea’s strikeforce is one of Conte’s major problem areas. Club-record signing Alvaro Morata has gone six games without scoring, while the Italian has doubts over back-up forward Michy Batshuayi after handing him just three League starts in 15 months.

Boakye is a Ghana international, so Chelsea would have to accept the possibility of him going to the Africa Cup of Nations every two years, but it is something they are used to, having previously had Didier Drogba, Mikel John Obi, Michael Essien and Salomon Kalou in their squad.

Boakye is hoping to make a good impression against Arsenal. He said: “I will score because I deserve it. I would like to face [Petr] Cech again because when you face such a keeper and score, it has more weight.”