It is no secret that Chelsea want to add a striker to their squad this summer and have highlighted five of Europe’s most wanted strikers to push them towards the summit of next seasons Premier League table.
Hulk- Zenit St Petersburg
The Brazilian striker is one of the most highly rated front men in Europe and has made no secret of wish to move away from his current club Zenit St Petersburg. The striker signed for the Russian club last summer but has since struggled with the lifestyle in Russia and wants to move, preferably to one of Europe’s top clubs. Chelsea have long been linked with a move for Hulk but they appear to be stepping up their efforts this summer. New boss Jose Mourinho is an admired of the Brazilian and wants a strong physical presence up front for Chelsea next season, in the mould of former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba.
It appears that Mourinho has identified Hulk for that role and could be ready to bid £35 million for him. Hulk has recently admitted that there have been conversations between his representatives and Chelsea so a move to Stamford Bridge could be on the cards. The Brazilian is currently on international duty with Brazil at the Confederations Cup and any deal for Hulk will probably have to wait until after the competition. Another possible factor in Hulk’s availability is that Zenit are thought to be demanding close to £50 million for the Brazilian striker, while Chelsea probably won’t go much past £35 million, so some tough negotiations could lie ahead for Chelsea if they are to sign Hulk.
Edinson Cavani- Napoli
Cavani is one of the most wanted men in Europe this summer and Chelsea are one of the many clubs who are chasing the Uruguay international. Cavani has had a fantastic season for Napoli, scoring a wide range of goals that helped his side to finish second in Serie A. Having been identified as one of the most dangerous marksmen in Europe, Cavani has attracted the interest of Jose Mourinho and Chelsea. The player himself said he would love to play under Mourinho and the Portuguese coach would certainly love to have him at Stamford Bridge. However, he will face plenty of competition for the Uruguayans signature. Manchester City have also made Cavani their number one target and look set to put in a bid for Cavani.
Mourinho’s former club Real Madrid are also interested in Cavani and are apparently the players first choice if he were to move this summer. The players father recently said that Cavani is hoping that Real Madrid bids for him and according to reports, the player has spoken to Real Madrid’s lawyers about a possible move. Also, Cavani’s current, Napoli, are playing hard ball on the Uruguayans transfer fee. The club will not accept any bid below £53 million, the players release clause. If Chelsea wish to sign Cavani they may need to sell some players before they can put in a bid for the striker.
Robert Lewandowski- Borussia Dortmund
The Polish striker has had a wonderful spell at Borussia Dortmund, becoming one of the World’s most dangerous strikers and has even been compared to Dutch legend Marco Van Basten. He really came to prominence in this seasons Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid, when he scored as fantastic hat-trick as Dortmund won 4-1. Real’s manager then was Jose Mourinho and he had first hand experience of what Lewandowski can do to a side. Now at Chelsea, Mourinho wants to bring Lewandowski to Stamford Bridge but he will have to join the cue, as Manchester United, Manchester City and Real Madrid are all interested in the Polish striker. However, Lewandowski has his heart firmly set on a move to Bayern Munich.
He looked set to join them this summer but Borussia Dortmund have said that they will not let him leave to join Bayern, having already sold Mario Gotze to their bitter rivals. Lewandowski’s contract with Dortmund expires next summer, so he could stay at Dortmund for the next season and then make his dream move to Bayern next summer on a free transfer, leaving Chelsea disappointed. The reason for such a high interest in the striker apart from his obvious talent, is that he could be available for a relatively cheap price. Clubs could hope to sign him for £25 million, £28 million less than Napoli are demanding for Cavani, meaning bidding for Lewandowski would be much cheaper. However, it looks as though Chelsea will be disappointed as sooner or later Lewandowski seems set to move to Bayern Munich.
Stevan Jovetic- Fiorentina
The Montenegrin striker has been on the radar of a lot of Europe’s top clubs for awhile now because of his skill and versatility. Jovetic can play in a variety of positions and scores some fantastic goals. Chelsea have been linked with Jovetic this summer and feel that his versatility could add a lot to the team. Jose Mourinho likes players who can play in a variety of different positions and Jovetic certainly fits the bill. The striker has also said that he wants to leave Fiorentina this summer, having helped them to 4th place in Serie A.
Jovetic stated that he wanted to move to a big club that are challenging for the big trophies and that would certainly bring Chelsea into the race. However, plenty of clubs are said to be chasing Jovetic, with Arsenal, Juventus and Manchester City all interested in the Montenegrin. Jovetic has already identified Juventus as a possible destination for him this summer while reports also suggest Manchester City will be given the first opportunity to sign Jovetic through a good working relationship between City and Fiorentina. These issues could hamper Chelsea as they try and sign Jovetic and the player could be available for around £25 million.
Gonzalo Higuain- Real Madrid
Higuain played a big role in Jose Mourinho’s success at Real Madrid, scoring plenty of goals for the Portuguese manager. Higuain is known to be one of the most dangerous marksman in the world. He normally operates around the six yard box, poaching goals, meaning he scores a lot throughout the season. Mourinho is known to like this type of striker and could try and sign the Argentine this summer. Higuain has already said that he intends to leave Real Madrid this summer, saying that he wants a different challenge.
However, Chelsea would have battle it out with Arsenal for the Argentines signature. The Gunners are currently in pole position to sign Higuain and the player is known to be interested in a move to the Emirates. Also, when Higuain announced that he was going to leave Madrid, he named Juventus as a possible destination. The Italian club have been heavily linked with a move for the Argentine and the Italian champions are believed to be the strikers preferred choice of destination. The transfer fee may prove a problem as well. Madrid a demanding £25 million for Higuain and it is unlikely that Mourinho would pay that much for the Argentine.