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Chelsea FC have signed Juventus centre-forward, Gonzalo Higuain, on a loan deal for the remainder of the season, with an option to buy.
The Argentine striker needs no introduction. His staggering numbers for Real Madrid, Napoli, and Juventus speak for themselves. However, he failed to impress for AC Milan after he was sent to the Rossoneri, as his former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo arrived in Turin, and Juve opened the door for the Argentine to join Serie A rivals, AC Milan.
However, ending his short and poor spell with AC Milan, the striker has now arrived in London to don the infamous Blue shirt, playing for his former manager, Maurizio Sarri.
Since Diego Costa's return to Atletico Madrid last winter, the Blues have failed to replace him with a top-quality striker. Alvaro Morata's failure in the EPL, and Olivier Giroud's inability to score enough goals to win an EPL title has been worrying the Italian tactician, Maurizio Sarri, who joined last summer.
Costa was involved in 82 goals during the 120 appearances he made for the Blues, and was labelled one of the best ever strikers to represent the London club.
Lets take a look at three reasons why Gonzalo Higuain could be the next 'Diego Costa' for Chelsea FC.
#3 Clinical finisher
Ever since taking his place in the top-tier of football, the Argentine forward has been maintaining impressive and consistent performances for the clubs he has represented so far.
The 31-year-old has been a top-notch goalscorer for each of Real Madrid, Napoli, and Juventus. The Argentine has scored 290 career goals so far, and has set up another 97 to add to his impressive statistics.
The former Real Madrid striker had proven himself in LaLiga before switching to Serie A, a league known for its rigid defensive nature. Since moving to Serie A in 2013, the Argentine has scored 97 league goals, cementing the fact that his finishing abilities would be an asset for any European club.
With a creative set of players surrounding the 31-year-old, he would be expected to net a bagful of goals in the remainder of the season.
All stats via transfermarkt
#2 The Maurizio Sarri & Higuain reunion
During his spell with Napoli, Gonzalo Higuain had already worked with the Italian tactician in the 2015-16 season. That was indeed the best season of his footballing career. The Argentine forward scored 38 goals, and set up another 3 in just 42 appearances, totaling an involvement in 41 goals, before switching to Juventus in 2016.
Higuain finished as the top-scorer of Serie A that season under Maurizio Sarri, scoring a record-breaking 36 goals in the run.
With Sarri awaiting the arrival of a top-quality finisher, and his former teammate, Jorginho, bossing the midfield at Stamford Bridge, Higuain would settle quickly within the Chelsea squad, and is expected to be firing soon, reviving his goal-scoring form, saving the sarri-ball system in the EPL as well.
With the arrival of a striker like Higuain, it can be expected that goals would soon start flowing at Stamford Bridge.
#1 Inspiration to conquer the EPL
After impressing in the Spanish and Italian leagues, the striker would be under immense pressure to deliver in the Premier League as well, especially after knowing about the number 9 curse at Stamford Bridge.
In an interview in September 2018, Sarri admitted that if he is able to get the Argentine fit, he'd be a world-beater.
"He will score goals as long as he lives. He is goals. He is a goal animal, an infernal machine", Sarri said.
With the 31-year-old heading towards the latter stages of his footballing career, it would be unreasonable to expect fancy dribbles and pacy outbursts from the striker, however, his clinical finishing isn't leaving him anytime soon.
With the brilliant midfield, and the likes of Eden Hazard & Willian/Pedro surrounding him, El Pipita needs to focus on finishing rather than creating. Sarri knows how to get the best out of his players, with Jorginho, David Luiz, and Eden Hazard to cement the fact.
It is expected that Higuain will overcome the 'number 9' curse at Stamford Bridge, and would be a lethal striker for Chelsea, just like Diego Costa.
