Chelsea are likely to sign a new striker by the start of next season to provide extra competition for Alvaro Morata and Olivier Giroud, according to former Blues winger Pat Nevin.
Giroud is yet score a Premier League goal this season, and while Morata has found the net five times in the league, he has still received criticism for his performances.
Nevin, who scored 36 goals in 193 league matches for Chelsea, thinks the Londoners will buy another striker soon, but insists that doesn’t mean “the end of the road for Morata or Giroud.”
Why are Chelsea still on the hunt for a striker? 5 key things to know…
- Diego Costa left the club in the summer of 2017 following a falling out with then-manager Antonio Conte
- Chelsea signed Alvaro Morata as his replacement and the Spaniard made an impressive start to life in England
- Morata’s goals soon started to dry up and Conte signed Olivier Giroud in January to provide competition
- Conte was sacked in the summer with neither Morata nor Giroud scoring enough to fire Chelsea to Champions League football
- Maurizio Sarri has rotated the two strikers but they have scored just five league goals between them this season
Nevin believes Chelsea’s impressive start to the season shows Giroud and Morata don’t need to be scoring goals to have an impact, but still believes the Blues will sign a new striker.
“It’s not the end of the road for Morata or Giroud,” he told West London Sport. “I do expect a new centre-forward by next season. But having three strikers is not beyond the realms of possibility.
“Football is not all about statistics. Mateo Kovacic plays in this Chelsea system when Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Ross Barkley both score more goals. It’s a team game.
“And Giroud did not score at the World Cup and France won it. Chelsea have not been doing too bad, having not lost a game.”
Maurizio Sarri’s arrival at Chelsea brought in a new style of football with caters to the likes of Eden Hazard and Jorginho, but Nevin believes the centre-forwards at the club are less beneficial of Sarrismo.
He added: “Every centre-forward wants to get the ball in early before he is marked. But after 140 passes before the ball arrives, losing your marker is not going to happen if he has been looking at you for two minutes.
“It’s not impossible, but it’s much more difficult. Certain styles aren’t perfect for certain players.
“The system does not need a target man. It needs an aggressive, skilful player who is a natural goalscorer. But the complete package, like a Sergio Aguero or Luis Suarez, is not easy to come by.”
Chelsea’s striking problem
Last summer it appeared Chelsea were on the verge of re-signing Romelu Lukaku from Everton as a replacement for Diego Costa, but the Belgian ended up at Manchester United and Conte brought in Morata from Real Madrid instead.
Morata made a flying start at Stamford Bridge, scoring regularly and looking like a shrewd piece of business, even for the reported £60m Chelsea paid for him.
However, Morata finished the season with 11 league goals. Giroud, who was signed in the January transfer window, scored just three times in the Premier League and Chelsea missed out on a top four finish.
With those numbers in mind, it’s easy to see why Nevin might suggest a new striker is on his way in.
QUIZ: Can you name Chelsea’s top 20 most expensive signings?
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