Former England manager Sam Allardyce believes it would be a ‘big risk’ for Chelsea to sign Juventus striker Gonzalo Higuain.
The 31-year-old Argentinian, currently on loan at Milan, is being linked with Chelsea as part of a transfer merry-go-round with the Blues looking to bolster their attack.
Could Higuain cut it in the Premier League? Four key things you should know…
- Higuain is currently on loan at AC Milan from Juventus with an option to make the move permanent.
- The Argentinian has scored six goals in 15 Serie A appearances this season.
- Maurizio Sarri managed Higuain with huge success during his time at Napoli.
- Higuain is likely to move on loan from Juventus with a view to a permanent deal.
- Previous Chelsea signings including Hernan Crespo and Andriy Shevchenko have to cope with the pace of the Premier League after signing from Italian clubs.
The Argentinian striker is thought to be close to a six-month loan move to London after admitting to Milan manager Gennaro Gattuso that he wanted to join Chelsea.
It is thought that a move to Stamford Bridge would include an option to extend the stay for another 12 months but the deal has not yet been finalised.
Former England manager Allardyce was not enamoured by the idea of Sarri bringing the 31-year-old to the club with the pace of the Premier League being something Chelsea should consider.
“The scary thing for me is Higuain, while he’s had a very good career, he’s a big risk,” the former manager told talkSport.
“He’s 31 years old!
“Chelsea have done it before with Hernan Crespo, they brought him in for big, big money and it didn’t work – this could be the same again.
“He’s 31 years old coming into the Premier League and, with the pace of the league, he won’t know what’s hit him.”
If the move is completed before midday on Wednesday then there is a chance that Higuain could feature in Chelsea’s match against Tottenham in the League Cup on Thursday.
Milan’s assistant manager Luigi Riccio was quick to remind people that the deal was not done yet.
“As for the transfer market we are all grown-ups, we know how to deal with these situations,” he told Gazzetta via Sky.
“It has been in the air for a few days. But we will work with the players at our disposal.”
Will Higuain be a flop at Chelsea?
As Allardyce alluded to, Chelsea have not always enjoyed success with their signings from Italy.
Despite Higuain’s excellent record at Napoli when working under Sarri which saw the Argentinian score 92 goals in 147 games, it is questionable whether he could replicate that in the Premier League at the age of 31.
Crespo joined Chelsea at the age of 28 and went on to score a respectable tally of 20 goals in 49 Premier League games but Shevchenko was less prolific.
The Ukrainian hitman bagged just nine top flight goals for the London club in 49 games after signing for close to £30m.
If Sarri can get the best out of Higuain once again then Allardyce’s fear may be unfounded but only time will tell.
The post Signing Higuain would be a huge risk for Chelsea, says Allardyce appeared first on Squawka News.
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