Chelsea have enough talent in their team to play two equally strong XIs at the same time and win games. The only place where Chelsea have looked shaky is the position of the lone striker in the 4-2-3-1 formation they play. True, options such as Diego Costa, Fernando Torres, Didier Drogba with Eden Hazard and Andre Schürrle also capable of playing, look ominous, there has been trouble brewing in paradise for quite some time.
Diego Costa was their most important buy this season, as Chelsea’s striker woes put paid to their hopes of winning any competition last season. Last season, none of Fernando Torres, Demba Ba or Samuel Eto’o were consistent enough to merit a continuous run in the first XI, as Jose Mourinho was forced to play Eden Hazard in the first XI at times. Romelu Lukaku, the much-maligned striker who has moved permanently to Everton after last season’s successful display, where he scored more goals than Chelsea’s misfiring triumvariate of strikers. This year, Diego Costa has been added and Didier Drogba has been added back, while Demba Ba and Romelu Lukaku have departed, which has brought about an instant turnaround, as Costa has got off to a flying start in which he has scored two in two. Torres almost looks like he could move on too, after a horror time while playing for Chelsea. If Torres leaves, Chelsea need to line up a replacement for him, and three possible choices who could be good options would be:
1. Mattia Destro: The young Italian has been linked with Chelsea for some time now, and he could be a good backup option to Costa. He was prolific at Roma – scoring 13 league goals, and was one of the reasons why Roma finished second behind Juventus. However, he could find it difficult to adjust to the Premier League, and he will have to be happy with a tiny role this season. He could be nurtured into Jose’s system, so as to create maximum impact in minimum game-time. However, in recent times, young players such as Romelu Lukaku and Daniel Sturridge have left Chelsea at their displeasure on not getting the game-time they felt they deserved. Chelsea will need to keep Destro content, and he will repay them with goals.
2. Wilfried Bony: Raw power, pace and good heading ability – Chelsea have pined for a striker with these abilities, to succeed Drogba’s legacy at the club. Romelu Lukaku was chewed up and spit out in this manic rush, as he fell prey to distractions which were bound to strike a young teenage player, instead of maturing up to the club’s expectations. Wilfried had a successful first season at Swansea in the Premier League, and would be able to make the move to Chelsea a success. However, Chelsea have had poor luck in acquiring experienced attacking talent in recent times, and Bony would find it hard to adjust to a substitute role while at the peak of his career after being a first-team player at Swansea last season. This could end up being the most astute buy, if the price is right.
3. Jackson Martinez: Another player whose name has emerged in the running to be Chelsea’s second-striker is Jackson Martinez. The Porto-alpha striker has delivered consistently for his club over the past two seasons and his stock has been on the rise. Good performances in the World Cup for Colombia have added a bargaining chip to Porto, who are set to play hardball with clubs making a move for their star. Good as a left-winger or through the centre, an out-and-out goalscorer, with a powerful presence while on the pitch, he will prove to be a good option for Chelsea.
4. Loic Remy: He has made the Premier League a platform on which he delivers consistently. Both the clubs for which he has played – QPR and Newcastle – had floundered before his arrival shook things up and propelled them towards progress. A hard worker and a one-man-army who is capable of delivering magic moments to win games on his own; he could be snapped up by Jose Mourinho. Also, a price of around 8m would be a steal for a player like him, who would definitely be a step-up on Demba Ba. A problem with his medical was a deal-breaker for his much-expected move to Liverpool earlier, but if there are no problems with his Chelsea medical, expect him to make the switch from the Hoops to the Blues before the month is done.
Another reason why Chelsea have to make a move for a striker this season itself, is that Didier Drogba cannot be expected to continue his playing role all the way into the season after this season. A replacement needs to settle into the rigours of the Premier League over a season, so that he can play a bigger role in the next season. Diego Costa is also not used to playing a continuous season which extends through the Christmas season without a break. Fatigue sets in at that time, and an option who can play the entire 90 minutes of a game is a necessity, at this point in time.