If Chelsea don’t win the Premier League this season, there will be one area of the pitch where their fans point to as the letdown. Up front.
Sadly for the Stamford Bridge faithful, the days of Didier Drogba bullying Premier League defenders are no longer.
Nowadays, they have options in Fernando Torres, Samuel Eto’o and Demba Ba.
Torres, sadly, has declined from a world-class striker to a bystander unable to produce that quality in the final third once so recognisable.
Similarly, Eto’o has suffered unfortunate fate. The Cameroonian still has something to offer but his best days, undoubtedly at Barcelona, are in the past.
In fact, the 33-year-old was the victim of manager Jose Mourinho questioning his age in a secret recording for a French Television channel recently.
Ba, on the other hand, isn’t exactly the player Chelsea fans cherish the most. Now, the former Newcastle United man is far from a poor player, but many believe his services to the Blues should be from the bench and nothing further.
With that said, it’s clear Chelsea need to invest in a new striker this summer, particularly with the future of Everton loanee Romelu Lukaku unclear.
But what options are there for Mourinho, a man who always goes for the very best, in the summer approaching?
Well, here’s five possibilities for the ‘Special One’.
GONZALO HIGUAIN
Club: Napoli
Nation: Argentina
Age: 26
Despite moving only last summer, Gonzalo Higuain has been linked with a move away from Napoli due to the club’s failure to fulfil their expectations this season. In the past, the Argentine has been keen on playing in the Premier League with Manchester United and Arsenal reportedly interested. With the backing of Roman Abramovic, there’s no doubt Chelsea have the financial power to bring in a player who last cost £32million. Mourinho also knows the 26-year-old well following their three years together at Real Madrid. Higuain netted 22 times in the 2011/12 season which helped the Portuguese manager win his only La Liga title.
MARIO MANDZUKIC
Club: Bayern Munich
Nation: Croatia
Age: 27
Mario Mandzukic is enjoying a fine season with his 17 goals helping Bayern Munich secure their 24th Bundesliga title. However, the Croatian is likely to be Pep Guardiola’s second choice next season as Robert Lewandowski makes his long awaited arrival from Borussia Dortmund. If Mandzukic decides to leave for regular football, Mourinho should at least consider making a move for a striker with a physical presence and impressive work-rate. He is also excellent at pouncing on opportunities from wide positions which could benefit Eden Hazard’s game.
DIEGO COSTA
Club: Atletico Madrid
Nation: Spain
Age: 25
Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo has recently revealed that “everyone” is interested in signing Diego Costa. If you’ve watched the Brazilian-turned-Spaniard this season, it’s easy to understand why as his 24 goals have helped Diego Simeone’s side compete for La Liga with heavyweights Barcelona and Real Madrid. Chelsea would definitely face competition to sign Costa, who is valued at around £35million, but there’s no doubt their efforts will be rewarded. The 25-year-old is an expert at timing his runs and finishing in one-on-one situations.
CHRISTIAN BENTEKE
Club: Aston Villa
Nation: Belgium
Age: 23
At 23, Christian Benteke offers Chelsea a long-term solution in their search for a centre-forward. He is one of many young talents in the game today from Belgium, which means he has some understanding of playing with Eden Hazard. Benteke has had a slower second season than his first in the Premier League but has still scored important goals for Aston Villa in their bid for avoiding relegation. His best performances have demonstrated pace, strength and finishing abilities, which give Mourinho a lot to work with in developing the player into a world-class striker.
EDINSON CAVANI
Club: Paris Saint-Germain
Nation: Uruguay
Age: 27
Edinson Cavani was one of several strikers linked with Chelsea last summer before his £55million transfer to Paris Saint-Germain. The Uruguay international has scored regularly for the French champions despite mainly playing out wide to allow star man Zlatan Ibrahimovic to keep his position upfront. Cavani is reportedly unhappy at Laurent Blanc’s unwillingness to play him in his favoured position down the middle which could benefit one of Europe’s big clubs. The 27-year-old would cost a hefty fee but is an undoubted world-class striker who scored 104 goals in his three seasons at Napoli.