Chelsea returned to winning ways at the weekend but their performance at home to a struggling Newcastle team was underwhelming to say the least. It was not particularly surprising to see them labor to a narrow win though, with Maurizio Sarri finding it difficult to bring the best from his players after an impressive start.
Their main problem has been scoring the goals to kill off games. They have not scored more than twice in any of their last 13 matches and the last time they won in the league by more than a single goal was seven matches ago, against Manchester City no less.
With Cesc Fàbregas off to Monaco and Álvaro Morata also expected to be on his way out of the club this month, there is a pressing need for new signings if Chelsea are to make the most of their possession-based approach. Two names seem to be at the top of their wish list right now, with approaches made for Zenit midfielder Leandro Paredes and long-term target Gonzalo Higuaín.
Paredes fits the bill when it comes to replacing Fàbregas’s range of passing. One of his great assets is his ability to switch play. His average of 7.6 accurate long balls per game would rank second of all outfielders in the Premier League this season, only behind Toby Alderweireld. Sarri knows Paredes well from his time in Italy. The two narrowly missed out on working together at Empoli, with Paredes signing on loan for the club a few weeks after the manager had moved on to Napoli.
The 24-year-old is renowned for his passing and elegance on the ball, but he may not be able to match Fàbregas – at least in his heyday – when it comes to having an impact in the final third. The Argentinian tends to dictate play from a deeper position in the midfield, though that is very much the role Jorginho has been given in Sarri’s system. His arrival would potentially put an even greater onus on N’Golo Kanté to support attacks.
What Chelsea really need is a midfielder who can contribute goals and assists. Fàbregas had a direct hand in 56 league goals for the club, scoring 15 and setting up 41. None of Chelsea’s midfielders have scored or set up more than three goals this season. Jorginho, who has hit 1,997 passes in the league – more than any other player – has just one assist.
Marek Hamsik was always a reliable source of goals for Sarri at Napoli – scoring 25 in their three seasons together in Serie A. Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, who was reportedly a target for Chelsea in the summer, has endured a relatively disappointing campaign so far, but his recent flurry of three goals in four matches for Lazio was a timely reminder of his talents. The Serb scored 12 league goals last season and could be an option worth revisiting.
Meanwhile, if rumors of unrest from Philippe Coutinho are to be believed, offering the Brazilian a route out of Barcelona could also bring an exciting blend to the midfield three. Barça have been linked with a number of Chelsea players this month and Willian could no doubt serve as a tempting makeweight in any deal for Coutinho. Willian turned 30 in the summer and his departure could pave the way for Callum Hudson-Odoi to be given enough playing time for him to reject a move to Bayern Munich, not to mention the impending arrival of Christian Pulisic.
Of course, the main reason Chelsea are not finishing off matches is the profligacy of their two strikers. Olivier Giroud has only scored once in the Premier League this season and Álvaro Morata is not doing much better, with just five goals in the league. Sarri wanted a striker in the summer and looked likely to sign Higuaín but he ended up on loan at AC Milan after Cristiano Ronaldo took his place at Juventus. The move to Milan is not going to plan for the Argentinian striker.
Higuaín smashed Serie A scoring records under Sarri, scoring 36 league goals in their one season together at Napoli, but he has not come close to reaching those heights since. His tally of 24 league goals in his first campaign at Juventus was still impressive, but that figure dropped to 16 last season, and his modest tally of just six goals in 15 league appearances for Milan so far this season suggests the striker, now 31, is no longer the player to take Chelsea to the next level.
The good news for Chelsea is that there are plenty of young strikers around who are finding the net at an impressive rate and are yet to move to one of the richest clubs in Europe. Arkadiusz Milik, who replaced Higuaín at Napoli, is now fully fit and back to his best after suffering two serious knee injuries. The 24-year-old has scored eight goals in his last nine appearances.
Sébastien Haller, also 24, is playing like Giroud in his prime. The Frankfurt target man has had a direct hand in more goals than any other player in the Bundesliga this season (17 – nine goals, eight assists). And his strike partner, the 21-year-old Luka Jović, is the joint top scorer in the division with 12 goals.
Elsewhere in Germany, 22-year-old Timo Werner has 11 goals from 16 starts in the league this season. Maxi Gómez, also 22, has scored nine goals in La Liga this season at Celta Vigo. Back in Italy, Genoa summer signing Krzysztof Piatek has made light work of his move to Serie A. The 23-year-old has scored 13 league goals so far this season and more from open play (11) than any other player.
With Manchester United picking up points at an alarming rate, Chelsea are by no means assured of finishing in the top four. They need to get this transfer window right and adding goals to the side is the priority. Whether Paredes or Higuaín would be substantial improvements to their squad is debatable.
(The Guardian)
