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Diego Costa has been a shadow of himself this seasonMuch has been said about Chelsea’s dismal campaign as reigning champions this season. However, it is the alarming drop in form of their star striker Diego Costa that has left Blues fans all over scratching their heads trying to comprehend this sudden fall from grace experienced by the Brazil-born Spanish striker.To make matters worse, rumours of a supposed quarrel between him and manager Jose Mourinho have only fuelled claims that the former Atletico Madrid striker is on his way out of the club. Here are 5 strikers that could serve as replacements for Costa at Chelsea.
#5 Saido Berahino
The English forward may not have set the Premier League alight this year as he had the season before but he still remains one of English football’s brightest talents. Quick on the ball and in possession of a brilliant right foot, the West Bromwich Albion man is still one of the Premier League’s brightest young strikers.
While not as prolific as the top of the crop in the EPL, Berahino has the added advantage of being accustomed to the Premier League along with increasing Chelsea’s quotient of homegrown players in their squad.
Also, at just 22 years of age, the young striker is only just getting started in the world of football and has plenty left to give.
#4 Thomas Muller
For all the attention that Robert Lewandowski has been garnering this season, Thomas Muller has been Bayern Munich’s backup saviour – neatly notching up goals in the background with astounding frequency. The lanky German forward has managed to score 20 goals in 21 appearances this season and is rightly regarded as one of the brightest talents in German football.
While Muller may not be the most physically imposing or quick forwards in world football, he certainly is one of the most well-rounded strikers to grace the game right now. And he has been successfully utilized in an array of positions on the field – scoring regularly from wherever he is played.
One can say that Chelsea are in a transitional phase at the moment wherein they are unsure of utilizing a power forward in the mould of Costa or Didier Drogba at the front or a more agile striker. However, if there is one thing for sure, it is that they need goals from their leading man up front.
In Muller, they are pretty much guaranteed that.
#3 Gonzalo Higuain
Quite possibly one of the most underrated forwards in Europe at the moment, Gonzalo Higuain has consistently scored goals wherever he goes.
Talented with both feet and with his head as well, the Argentine is the perfect lone striker for a team such as Chelsea where the play is built around a forward hanging around the box waiting for a ball to be put in so as to slot it home.
He too has been in great form this season, scoring 14 goals in 17 games in all competitions and had played a pivotal role in Napoli topping the Seria A table earlier this season as they battle it out with Inter Milan. Rumours of a supposed contract dispute at Napoli will certainly interest the Blues as they look to rescue their season.
And he is no stranger to Jose Mourinho having played under him at Real Madrid.
#2 Antoine Griezmann
Atletico Madrid have always had a knack of possessing supreme talent up front. First it was Fernando Torres, then Sergio Aguero, who was followed by Colombian striker Radamel Falcao and then Diego Costa himself.
Antoine Greizmann is the current holder of that revered striker position at Atletico and is carrying on the Rojiblancos’ reputation for their striking talent.
His blistering pace coupled with a fantastic left foot and a keen eye for goal make the French forward a formidable figure to defend against; as seen in his 10 goals in 18 games this season.
Given that he started off as a winger and is just as capable of playing on the wing as up front, it will make him an ideal prospect for Chelsea given Mourinho’s tinkering with the forward line and his utilization of the false 9 formation on occasions this year.
#1 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Last year, Borussia Dortmund underwent a campaign not too different from the one Chelsea are having this season. The German side were rock bottom in the Bundesliga at one point and seemingly looked like they were headed to the Bundesliga 2, only to pick up form during the second half of the season and finish seventh.
This season however, the team has looked like their usual dominating selves thanks in no small part to their Gambian forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
The forward has been in the best form of his life this year, notching up a mighty 25 goals in 22 appearances in all competitions this year and shows no signs of slowing down. His lightning pace and mazy dribbling ability would be a perfect fit in a Chelsea team that already possesses a quick attack in Willian, Eden Hazard and Pedro.
Aubameyang is one of the fastest players in the world today. Even FIFA 16 have him as the third fastest player.
