5 forwards Chelsea should be looking at 

Transfer news concerning Chelsea this January has been fairly strange. Antonio Conte has made it obvious that he wants to sign another striker to provide backup to Alvaro Morata, which is fine, but it's the players the club has been linked with that are downright bizarre.

Andy Carroll was named, despite his injury-prone nature and lack of games for West Ham; Ashley Barnes of Burnley was a surprise target and while he's enjoyed a decent campaign for his club, he is not exactly of the elite caliber expected at a club like Chelsea.

Even good old Peter Crouch, at the age of 36, has been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge. The tall Englishman was a quality Premier League player on his day, playing for the likes of Liverpool and Tottenham, but his best days are well behind him; it's unlikely that he'd be able to add much to Chelsea's strike force.

The suggestions have seemed like desperate acts by a manager struggling to define his team's identity: it's clear he seems like he wants to sign a target man to provide Chelsea with another option when they're not playing well, but Morata is perfectly capable of performing such a role.

Their substitute striker currently is Michy Batshuayi who Conte just hasn't taken to at all. The Belgian offers a clearer plan B than any of the names linked do, with his ability to dribble and link-up play, but it seems like he's on his way out of the club without having had a fair chance.

Chelsea is still competing in the FA Cup and Champions League (the league title surely going to Manchester City) and this slideshow looks at 5 players of better quality the club should consider signing to give Morata competition.

#5 Olivier Giroud (Arsenal)

Giroud has been unlucky with injuries this season

The tall Frenchman has found himself pushed out of Arsenal's first team this season due to the arrival of Alexandre Lacazette and the decision has been harsh.

Giroud's goal record is amongst the finest in the Premier League: he has a shot conversion rate of 28.57%.

There was talk of a transfer to Everton over the summer which fell through at Giroud's own insistence but Chelsea would most likely prove more tempting. It would keep the player in London, for one, where he is happy. He also still has enough to offer at a high level to provide worth to the club.

Giroud is a similar player to Carroll and Crouch but a superior talent so if Conte is sure he wants to have a target man to play long balls and crosses to in his team, then he'd be wise to look to Arsenal.

Morata has scored most of his goals from crosses from Cesar Azpilicueta and it's not hard to imagine the centre-back and Giroud linking up just as effectively, given his powerful aerial presence.

#4 Jamie Vardy (Leicester City)

A transfer to the English champions would cap the incredible rise of Vardy

Leicester's main man has been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge consistently ever since he guided the Foxes to their remarkable league triumph in 2016 but the move has never materialized. At 31, though, Vardy doesn't have much time left at the top and to get a big money move so the timing could be good for both parties.

The Englishman is playing some of his best football this season: he has linked superbly with Riyad Mahrez, just as they did together under Claudio Ranieri in 2015/2016.

Vardy's style of play - running in behind defenses using his speed and acceleration to get in on goal - represents a differing option to Morata's aerial strengths if that isn't working out.

Even if he was used solely as a substitute, Vardy's pace and skill coming off the bench would be an amazing weapon to use on tiring opposition defenses. Vardy has all the attributes to be an effective impact player late in a game.

His former Leicester teammate Danny Drinkwater is already at Chelsea and this would enable him to settle into his new surroundings and would benefit the club on the pitch too, as the duo enjoyed a great partnership at the King Power Stadium.

#3 Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid)

Griezmann will find it easier to leave Atletico after their embargo has been lifted

The signing of Griezmann to Chelsea would be a controversial one, given Diego Costa recently transferred the other way to Atletico Madrid, but Griezmann's world-class status would be worth the effort.

The Frenchman decided to stay on at Atletico over the summer due to their transfer embargo, despite known interest from Barcelona.

That's now come to an end as with Costa available, his presence isn't so keenly needed anymore. Barcelona has signed Ousmane Dembele and Phillips Coutinho in the meantime, meaning it is unlikely that they'd splash more cash to secure Griezmann's services now.

The player, then, could be tempted to try his luck in English football and Chelsea would be the best destination for him. The thought of Eden Hazard and Griezmann playing in the same team would strike fear into any Premier League defense. Their trickery and dribbling ability combined would be incredible to watch.

Another positive aspect of Griezmann's potential signing would be his versatility: he's effective playing anywhere across the attacking positions, equally good as the main striker or the playmaker.

This would allow Conte to play him beside Alvaro Morata as opposed to pitting the two players against each other for 1 role, with the Frenchman dropping deeper to collect the ball and combining with Hazard and Willian.

If Chelsea wants to reclaim their league title back next season, they need to be signing world-class talent and a forward line of Alvaro Morata and Griezmann would be a great start.

#2 Edin Dzeko (AS Roma)

Dzeko might relish another chance in English football

Roma's main man was discussed in the last week as a possible alternative for Chelsea and with good reason. Since leaving Manchester City for Italy, the Bosnian has been in tremendous form.

He was the top scorer in Serie A last season with 29 goals and has carried this into the new campaign.

The player's ability is well-known to both Conte and Chelsea: he starred in the 3-3 draw between the clubs' in this season's Champions League group stage, scoring an unbelievable volley at Stamford Bridge; he also helped Manchester City to 2 league titles in 2012 and 2014.

Dzeko has an impressive scoring record for every club he's played for and it would only be expected that he would continue this in London.

He's a player who performs when called upon. Recall that he was rarely the first choice at Manchester City but still scored double figures in 3 of his 4 full seasons at the Etihad.

There would be no doubt that Dzeko wouldn't mind occupying a similar impact role behind first choice Morata.

Thanks to his previous experience, he'd also be well-equipped to deal with the physical nature of English football and would have no trouble holding his own against opposition defenders.

Again, like Giroud, he is a similar player to Carroll and Crouch but simply is a far greater footballer.

#1 Mauro Icardi (Inter Milan)

It might be time for Icardi to test himself outside Italy

Inter Milan's captain has flown under the radar of European fans and managers alike over the past few seasons: one look at his goals record in Serie A for the club makes for convincing evidence as he's scored a remarkable 89 goals in 146 games.

A bid for his services, however, has never been tabled to Inter and one has to wonder why. Perhaps it's due to the club's lack of silverware in his time there; perhaps it's due to his somewhat controversial reputation off the field.

In purely footballing terms, though, Icardi is one of the finest strikers in Europe and his talents deserve a wider audience.

With most of the European superpowers well-stocked in their attacking departments, Chelsea could represent the most realistic option for the Argentine.

Conte, of course, would know all about the player from his time managing Juventus and would hopefully, therefore, know how to get the best out of him.

He has also been the sole front man for Inter for a while now, so would have no problems performing this role at Stamford Bridge. His mere presence in the squad would inevitably cause Morata to raise his level as this would be a necessity.

Icardi would certainly cost a lot of money but to get a player of his talent, when he is approaching his peak years, could end up being one of Chelsea's best transfer signings of recent years.