Thomas Tuchel, Marina Granovskaia, and Chelsea need to find their own Edinson Cavani in order to sustain an assault on every competition and to reduce the burden on Romelu Lukaku.
Also, competition for places is healthy and might provide Lukaku with a bit of pressure that could see his performances return to their peak
Who are the options?
Duvan Zapata
Duvan Zapata has been truly exceptional for Gian Piero Gasperini’s Atalanta since joining the club in 2018.
The Colombian international has registered a staggering 109 G/A’s in 143 games for the La Dea, and at 30 years of age, is not slowing down.
Zapata already has 12 G/A’s in 13 appearances so far this season.
Standing at 6’2ft with an ability to act as both the creator and goal scorer, Zapata’s profile seems to tick all the boxes.
If he were to make a switch to Chelsea, it would be under the assumption that he would not be a guaranteed starter, but would provide ample competition for Lukaku and would hugely benefit the team when on the pitch.
However, being a regular starter for an exciting Atalanta team that often feature in the Champions League, it might be tricky to convince Duvan Zapata to leave North Italy for West London.
Wout Weghorst
Wout Weghorst has been one of the most underrated strikers in Europe over the last two seasons.
His consistently excellent performances for Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga have seen him be welcomed into the Dutch national team, and he was central to Wolfsburg’s Champions League qualification last season.
The 29-year-old Dutch striker joined Wolfsburg following a productive stint at AZ Alkmaar where he managed to rack up an impressive 58 G/A’s in 86 appearances.
This form has continued at the Volkswagen Arena, where he has 89 G/A’s in 132 games.
Standing at close to 6’5ft, the physicality of the Premier League would not be of concern.
Additionally, Wolfsburg is in somewhat of a crisis at current, and a move to the European Champions could be an enticing prospect.
Despite his importance to his team, his age profile and Wolfsburg’s need to generate some income post-pandemic could see Chelsea pick him up for a fairly decent price.
Andrej Kramaric
Leicester City 2015/16 ring any bells? It is easy to judge a player off of one poor transfer or limited game time in the Premier League, Memphis Depay and Florian Thauvin have been victims of this too in recent seasons. However, since leaving the Foxes,
Andrej Kramaric has turned into one of the best strikers in Europe.
Having found a home at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, Kramaric has been exceptional. In 196 appearances for the club, he has 141 G/A’s, these are the type of numbers that an ideal second striker should have for Chelsea.
Typically, Bundesliga wages, Bayern aside, are much lower than they are in the Premier League, and at the age of 30, one final move to end his career could be on his mind.
He would be under no illusions that Romelu Lukaku would be the starting striker, but his ability would allow Chelsea to change their style of play and his reliability in front of goal would be just what Chelsea need to go far in all competitions. For me he is well worth considering.
Armando Broja is beginning to develop well at Southampton, so recalling him would perhaps be more of a hindrance to his progression than anything else.
If Chelsea is serious about finding a second striker, then there are plenty of players available.
