Five strikers that could help boost Chelsea’s challenge for honours this season.
5. Burak Yilmaz
The Turkish international has enjoyed quite the rise in fortunes recently. Having joined Galatasaray last summer from Trabzonspor, where he scored 58 times in 93 games, he has continued that good form this term by bagging 26 in 31 appearances.
His performances for the Turkish giants has caught the eye of a number of top European clubs such as Arsenal, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Liverpool, and Chelsea themselves. So far the only serious interest has come from Italy but with the west London club still interested they are thought to have a jump on Lazio with the lure of more regular Champions League football.
Whilst any of those clubs will be a tough proposition to turn down, the Blues could entice the 27-year-old by outlining the rebuilding plans that Jose Mourinho will surely have.
Chelsea have a number of strikers already at the club, but following Lukaku’s departure, and with Fernando Torres surely not far behind him, that will open up a little room for another out-and-out goalscorer to join their ranks.
A firmly established Turkish international, he also has a solid season of Champions League experience behind him – a season that saw him finish off the group stages as the tournament’s top scorer.
4. Alvaro Morata
The Real Madrid striker may be slightly green around the gills, but he has all the promise in the world. At just 20-years-old he has already broken into the Spanish giants first team and last season managed to bag his first two goals for the club.
The Blues have already reportedly been keeping an eye on the youngster as he looks set for another bit part role in Spain this term. Behind the likes of Ronaldo and Benzema, with Real sure to pursue another front man to add to the mix come winter, he would do well to seek a move away from the Bernabeu, if only on a short term deal.
Though inexperienced, he fits in well with the ethos of young signings that Mourinho has been making so far over the summer.
And furthermore, he is a player that Mourinho already knows well, the pair having worked together in Madrid. His 6ft 2in frame would provide Chelsea with another dimension as he is adept at holding up the ball and bringing others in to play, which he does sacrificing goals for himself.
3. Michu
It’s about time that somebody took a chance on the Spaniard. He’s carried his good form of the previous campaign into this one and doesn’t look as though he is about to slow down either.
However, now that Mourinho is in need of another viable attacking option, last season’s biggest bargain could prove to great to resist and a move could be sanctioned sooner rather than later.
Sadly, though, this time he will cost considerably more than the £2 million that Michael Laudrup’s men paid for him, but surely his ambition to test himself at a higher level will be too great to turn down a move to the west London outfit, and for his versatility he would be worth the outlay.
Michu’s class was evident before he’d even joined – to score 15 goals a season for a small side in a league so badly dominated by two teams was impressive to say the least, and he’s carried on that good form for the South Wales side.
A successful season not only for him, but for the club too has seen him bag a League Cup winners medal and secure European football this season.
2. Jackson Martinez
It seems that Colombian strikers are in vogue at the moment. Radamel Falcao went for big money in the summer, as did Duvan Zapata, the only one who stayed put was Martinez.
Having only signed last summer from Mexican club Jaguares, the 26-year-old has set about making a name for himself in Europe by scoring 34 goals in 39 games for the Portuguese giants.
Several clubs along with Rafa Benitez’s Napoli have been looking at him this year. Manchester United, Borussia Dortmund and Tottenham Hotspur have all sent scouts over to Porto to make sure that his form hasn’t been a flash in the pan.
He’s also Radamel Falcao’s strike partner for Colombia too. The South American’s are transforming themselves from a side who seldom had much to offer into one of the most exciting teams around. So far Martinez has scored eight goals in 18 appearances.
There are more experienced strikers available to United, but news of their interest would surely turn his head and he would represent a sound investment as he’s slipped under the radar of many managers up until now.
1. Wayne Rooney
There was a time when a transfer like this was simply unfeasible, but it may be a move beneficial for all involved.
Rooney isn’t happy at United, and he’s made that clear, so it is time for a fresh start elsewhere. Jose Mourinho has stated that he would be interested in taking him to Stamford Bridge and the pair of them working together would be an interesting concept to say the least. However, there are fears that the England man would not be prolific enough to fire Chelsea toward the title.
But we all know that a happy and in form Wayne Rooney is a valuable commodity and perhaps Jose Mourinho can tap into an area of his psyche that Ferguson couldn’t reach. A £30m bid was rejected by United after Mourinho set a time limit on negotiations.
There has been talk of a new contract at Old Trafford, but surely his actions this summer would suggest that he would move if given the option.