A look at five strikers Chelsea could sign to aid their current problems upfront.
It would be no surprise this summer if returning Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho looked at his current strike options and thought immediately that that was an area in desperate need of strengthening.
With the Blues failing to mount a serious title challange this season, settling instead on winning the battle for third place with Arsenal and Tottenham, it is clear that improvements are needed. Legendary striker Didier Drogba left the club last summer, leaving the off-form and under-confident Fernando Torres as the only recognised striker in the team. Demba Ba was signed from Newcastle in January, but has also looked a little disappointing. In total, the two of them scored ten Premier League goals between them for Chelsea in 2012/13 – far from good enough for a side with title ambitions.
Torres has long been linked with an exit from the club after such a disappointing time since his £50million move from Liverpool, and it is now even suggested that Mourinho will sell Ba after just five months at Stamford Bridge. It is clear where Chelsea’s problems lie, so who could be brought in to score the goals to take them up a level next year?
5. Stevan Jovetic
Although Arsenal and Juventus have been leading the chase for Fiorentina striker Stevan Jovetic, Jose Mourinho is also said to be a fan of his. The 23-year-old has been one of Serie A’s stand-out performers over the last few years, scoring 12 goals this season. His numbers perhaps suggest he is not the most prolific forward playing on the shoulder of the last defender, but his all-round ability would suit Chelsea’s style of play, and he would surely reach higher numbers with the likes of Juan Mata and Eden Hazard supplying him with the passes.
Mourinho has identified him as a possibility upfront, though it remains unclear whether he would favour a stay in Italy or a move to England. Fiorentina are desperate not to sell him to their Serie A rivals Juventus, but he has given mixed signals as to his intentions. Chelsea’s financial power could outmuscle both the Gunners and Juve, putting them in the driving seat to land the talented Montenegro international.
4. Edin Dzeko
Somewhat surprisingly, one of the first players to be linked with Chelsea upon Mourinho’s return was out-of-favour Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko. The Bosnian has not really found his best form at the Etihad Stadium since joining for £28million from Wolsburg in 2011, but Mourinho seems to think he could still rediscover the goal-scoring touch that he showed in the Bundesliga.
Dzeko had previously been linked with moves to the likes of Napoli and Fiorentina, and City would be likely to favour selling him to a foreign club than to a Premier League rival, and Dzeko himself might feel he has so far struggled to adapt to the pace of the game in England and would be better suited to Serie A. However, it also seems possible that his target-man style of play would be better used by Mourinho, as he has often set up his teams to play like this in the past. This would certainly be an interesting signing, and perhaps a chance for Dzeko to prove City wrong about his talents.
3. Robert Lewandowski
Chelsea have shown an interest in Robert Lewandowski before, and were rumoured to be making moves to sign him last month. Manchester United have also been linked with the prolific Polish forward, but he seemed set to disappoint both teams by expressing a desire to move to Borussia Dortmund’s Bundesliga rivals Bayern Munich.
However, it has now emerged that Dortmund have refused to sell their star striker to their rivals, opening the door for a move to the Premier League once again. The Pole scored 36 goals in all competitions for Dortmund this season, establishing himself as one of the world’s top strikers. His four-goal haul in his side’s 4-1 Champions League semi-final win ove Real Madrid really put him in the spotlight, and will certainly have impressed Mourinho, who was in charge of Real at the time.
There’s no doubt Lewandowski’s natural goal-scoring ability would be a big boost for Chelsea and improve their chances of challenging for major honours next season, and he could be available for a decent price as his contract expires at the end of next season. This now seems like a realistic move again, and it would be a great first signing for Mourinho to make upon his return to Stamford Bridge.
2. Wayne Rooney
In what could be one of the most controversial and exciting moves of the summer, Chelsea have been linked with want-away Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney. The 27-year-old has reportedly submitted a transfer request at Old Trafford after growing dissatisfied with his role at the club. Despite scoring 35 goals last season, Rooney was moved into various other positions to accommodate new signing Robin van Persie at United this year, and he was often left out of the team altogether.
New United manager David Moyes is keen to keep Rooney at the club, but may have a battle on his hands as a host of Europe’s big names come calling for the England international. The likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona and PSG have already been strongly linked with him, as have United’s Premier League rivals Manchester City and Arsenal. Chelsea are among the names, and may step up their interest in him due to their need for a new striker. Rooney has shown all the capabilities of playing that role perfectly, and Mourinho may see him as the ideal Drogba replacement at Stamford Bridge.
There’s no doubt that the former Everton youngster is something of a wasted talent at the moment, and Mourinho could be just the manager to get him back to his best again, and Chelsea are one of the few clubs who could afford him. United won’t want to sell him to a rival, but Chelsea should certainly try their best to make this happen.
1. Edinson Cavani
Perhaps the best striker being linked with Chelsea right now (and perhaps the best striker in the world) is Napoli’s Edinson Cavani. Manchester City and Real Madrid are also determined to land the talented Uruguayan, who has scored an incredible 104 goals in 138 appearances for the Serie A side. This long drawn out transfer saga has seen rumours of Chelsea offering Torres in return, though that appears to have been rejected. It is now thought that the Blues will return with a bid of £49.3million, with Napoli hoping to hold out for an offer of £53million to activate the striker’s release clause.
Cavani is tall, strong and skillful and would certainly fit the Drogba mould that Chelsea are looking for, and he is arguably a better finisher than the Ivorian. If Chelsea can beat City and Real to his signing then it would be a statement of real intent, and would possibly have a huge say on where the Premier League title goes next season. After missing out on Radamel Falcao to Monaco, Cavani is the best available option right now and would surely only improve on his recent impressive form with the likes of Mata and Hazard playing behind him.