Diego Costa is seemingly pushing for a move away from Chelsea. Again. It happened in the summer and it’s happening again. This time, however, it’s an offer from China that’s got the former Brazilian international’s mouth all watery. Don’t imagine that.
Costa is clearly one of the Premier League’s – and Europe’s – top strikers. He’s currently leading the Golden Boot race in the kingdom and would be a loss to the Blues should he really push for a move away from Stamford Bridge. But Costa is just another striker the club can replace.
They’ve replaced legendary figures like Didier Drogba, Nicolas Anelka and Fernando Torres – at least two of those names work in this case. They’ll replace Costa, too. But given the world is currently suffering from a shortage of strikers, they’re going to have to invest in either a set superstar by shelling out Chelsea-esque amounts of money or sign someone unproven and raw for the Premier League like Michy Batshuayi. Wait.
Nevermind.
Here are five strikers Chelsea could turn to should the big man head to China:
#5 Tammy Abraham/Patrick Bamford
It would be a huge boost for the Chelsea youth system should Antonio Conte – and Roman Abramovic – decide that one of their two young stars be given the chance to replace Costa.
Tammy Abraham is currently on loan at Bristol City and is tearing defences a new one week-in-week-out. He’s scored a whopping 17 goals in all competitions for the Robins this season and seems like the kind of player Conte would love in his side for the second half of the Premier League.
Abraham is a deadly combination of pace, control and ruthlessness making him the perfect replacement for the outgoing Spaniard. The 19-year-old is on loan with the club until the end of the season, though.
Patrick Bamford is the less fancy of the two options. Currently, on loan at Burnley, the 23-year-old has been unable to nail down a starting spot and is seeing a future at Chelsea slowly slip away – unless he can make the best of the opportunity should the club recall him this month. He’s yet to score a goal for the Clarets.
#4 Alvaro Morata
I’d usually put Alvaro Morata much higher on this list but given the kind of season he’s having at Real Madrid, this slide seems apt. The 24-year-old just can’t replace Karim Benzema as the main striker in the team – no matter how hard he tries.
His return from Juventus was widely welcomed by the squad, the coaching staff and the fans but Morata hasn’t been able to replicate the kind of form that earned him the trip back home. Although he’s made 23 appearances for the club in all competitions this season, he hasn’t left his mark as a striker should.
A move to Chelsea for the second half of the season would be welcome. A six-month loan deal with the option for the Blues to buy him in the summer is a win-win for both parties.
#3 Romelu Lukaku
If you think about it, Romelu Lukaku would make a fantastic signing for Chelsea. He’s big, he’s strong, he’s young and he’s said in the past that his idol growing up was Didier Drogba. Wonder why the Blues didn’t pick up on the signs.
Lukaku, though, would be a huge investment for Conte. They’re going to have find at least another two Oscars somewhere in Cobham, leave them on the bench long enough and wait for Andre Villas-Boas to stir up the transfers by claiming he’s a fan of them.
Two more Oscars which is around €120 million could just about get Everton to sell the big Belgian to Chelsea. Of course, none of this would have happened if they hadn’t brought Jose Mourinho to the club.
Really, when will this club learn?
#2 Mauro Icardi
’Everybody has a price’, said the late South American kingpin, Pablo Escobar. This is true of another South American who I feel isn’t pursued enough by English and other European clubs and that’s Mauro Icardi.
The 23-year-old is a gem of a centre-forward and has the kind of attitude to flourish in a team like Chelsea. You know what I’m talking about. He’s a bit of a twat on the field and that’s good – in a way – good for Chelsea, at least.
Icardi is a proven goalscorer, though. He’s scored 16 goals in all competitions for Inter Milan this season and he’ll score a lot more with the likes of Eden Hazard, Willian and Cesc Fabregas pulling the strings behind him.
#1 Andrea Belotti
You can already imagine Antonio Conte losing it in Italian, asking Andrea Belotti to get into place. The 23-year-old has had quite the season rising from ‘who the hell is he?’ to be linked with the likes of Real Madrid, Arsenal and Manchester United.
Belotti loves scoring goals from set pieces and crosses and will flourish in Conte’s system. All he has to do is finish off chances in the final third given the way the Blues play, and he’s proven to be extremely lethal in doing so with Torino this season.
The Italian, though, will not come cheap but should he make the move, he could prove to be decisive in the way the Blues continue into the second half of the season.
