In his post-match press conference at Everton, Mauricio Pochettino emphasized the importance of Chelsea spending more money in the January Transfer Window. Today we look at four players who could help turn around their abysmal form.
1. Viktor Osimhen-Centre Forward- Napoli
As we previously mentioned, the Blues are in desperate need of a ruthless centre-forward who can’t score goals at will.
Nicholas Jackson and Armando Broja have had numerous chances to score, as have the likes of Cole Palmer and Raheem Sterling, but none of them have consistently been able to find the back of the net.
Embed from Getty ImagesThis has put even more pressure on the midfield to do the goal-scoring, and when you have a shaky defence, which is consistently leaking goals, it puts even more onus on the midfield to look for goals, which ultimately leads to your backline being exposed.
Osimhen was the Top scorer in Serie A for Napoli with 26 goals in 32 appearances. He also scored five in six Champions League appearances.
Not only will he bring Chelsea Football Club a goal-scoring threat, but it might just ignite some spark in Jackson and Broja to raise their games if they want to stay in the team.
The Blues are even considering selling Broja to help fund Osimhen’s £100 million move, will they be able to get this deal over the line?
2. Ivan Toney- centre-forward Released by Brentford
Embed from Getty ImagesIf the Osimhen move does not work out, why not look at someone who knows the Premier League inside out? Toney served an 11-month ban due to a betting scandal.
The 27-year-old was the third-highest goal-scorer in the 22/23 Premier League season, with 20 goals, which helped Brentford earn a ninth-place finish, which is the best in their existence in Englnad’s top-flight competition.
However, he went unnoticed by Gareth Southgate, who preferred Callum Wilson to accommodate Harry Kane as England’s second striker for the World Cup.
But amidst all this, former Arsenal Midfielder Paul Merson believes that a move to Stamford Bridge may not be the best move for the England international.
‘It is a lot of money. I do think he is a really good player, but he hasn’t been at a top club yet and we are seeing that with David Raya and Moises Caicedo at the moment,’ ‘It’s so different playing for Brentford, no disrespect, to playing for Arsenal or Chelsea. There’s so much scrutiny playing for the top clubs. ‘Let’s take the weekend. Brentford lost to Sheffield United. What page was that report on? You hardly heard about it. However, Chelsea lost to Everton and it is headline after headline.’
Merson: Metro
But as the Blues desperately need a goalscorer perhaps a move for the former Brentford man, may just prove to be a more realistic target.
3. Viktor Gyökeres-Attacking Midfielder- Sporting CP
Embed from Getty ImagesMidfield is another area in which Chelsea need strengthening, particularly if the likes of Connor Gallagher are to be released by the club in January.
If you look at all of Chelsea’s games thus far, the biggest area of concern is the midfield. not only does the backline get exposed, but the midfield is not helping out with the scoring of goals.
Embed from Getty ImagesRaheem Sterling and Cole Palmer have 11 goals and five assists between them, which is not enough if you are going to be considered a potential top-four or five candidates.
If you look at the likes of Manchester City, Arsenal, Aston Villa, and Spurs, there are goal scorers from almost every position, but their midfield is so potent at providing assists as well.
25-year-old Gyökeres from Sporting may just be the key for Chelsea to rescue their season, and possibly keep Pochettino’s job intact, providing he is still there in January.
During his time at Coventry City, Gyökeres netted 21 goals in 46 appearances for the Sky Blues.
But as the Blues are third best in creating chances behind Liverpool and Manchester City, perhaps the Blues need his goal-scoring prowess and assists.
4. Duajuan Richards
Embed from Getty ImagesAlso known as ‘Whisper’, the Jamaican signed a pre-contract deal for Chelsea in March. However, it was announced that he would join the club in the summer of 2023.
Newcastle United had offered to have the 18-year-old on a two-week trial period, after being linked up with their Under-21 squad in search of a professional contract.
However, director Joe Shields played a significant role in negotiations, to hijack his proposed move to St James’ Park.
The teenage centre-forward bagged a total of 31 goals and 19 assists for Phoenix All Stars Academy last season, and is yet to make his Premier League debut, perhaps now is the time to see what he can do in a Chelsea shirt.
