Chelsea Accept Fewer Goals Than Haaland, Whom Should They Sign?

Chelsea’s 19 goals are only one more than 14th-placed Bournemouth and 24 behind the Premier League’s top scorers: unsurprisingly, 2nd-placed City at 43.

Sowhat tin can they do? The January window is approaching, together with with Armando Broja injured, Chelsea ask to sign a central striker to take the goal-scoring burden amongst veteran Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as well as converted midfielderKai Havertz.

With expensive transfer mistakes inward Romelu Lukaku (€115 one thousand thousand, now on loan at Inter Milan) too Timo Werner (signed for €53m inwards 2020 too returned toRB Leipzig for €30m two years subsequently) however fresh inwards the mind, the gild have some decisions to brand. Having already snapped upward Andrey Santos (€12.5m) and David Datro Fofana (€10m), hither are other players they could target.

Jumpto: Who are Andrey Santos as well as David Datro Fofana?

Dusan Vlahovic, 22, FW, Juventus

Last January’s €70m signing fromFiorentina is yet to fulfil expectations at Juventus, but in the wake of a turbulent twelvemonth in Turin, Vlahovic yet has xvi goals inwards 36 Serie A games for the club.

While at that place is no indication yet that Juventus are actively looking to move on theSerbia international after merely one year, their electric current fiscal circumstances (with a tape loss of €254.3m for 2021-22) may prompt an chance to snap him up.

One of the most naturally talented out-too-out center-forwards around, Vlahovic could add together more than aggression inward attacking duels in addition to meliorate his participation inwards the make-upward, but his aerial timing, quick finishing technique in addition to power to draw away from hismarker inwards the box brand him a highly intriguing transfer target.

Rafael Leao, 23, FW, air conditioning Milan

With his current terms expiring inward 2024, the principal attacking strength behind Milan’s championship-winning cause final flavor is existence courted past an array of elite clubs across Europe.

Though Milan desire to go on concur of Leao in addition to know theyhave a €150m publish clause to autumn dorsum on, Chelsea’s urgency to sign the Portugal international may have been alleviated past the pending €60m-plus arrival of multi-functional Christopher Nkunku fromRB Leipzig inward the summertime.

However, Leao is a powerful, directly presence in assault and must however live an attractive add-on to the comprehensive Stamford Bridge rebuild. From his favoured left-fly place, the 23-twelvemonth-onetime forwards has 34 goals in addition to 30 assists from his 135 games in Milan and, with a knack of tying up defenders to open up upwardly space elsewhere, he averages vi dribbles per ninety minutes.

Joao Felix, 23, FW, Atletico Madrid

For all his natural talent in addition to hope, Felix has struggling to assert himself at Atletico after a €126m social club-record transfer from Benfica three-in addition to-a-half years ago.

Though he’s clashed with defensive-minded director DiegoSimeone, his defensive/pressing contributions hold improved. Still, the Portugal international is a fountain of inventiveness who generally needs to roam gratis in addition to notice space on instinct. Equipped with a sublime outset touching, the intelligence to set dandy 1-twos and triangles, plus the imagination to play deceptive passes to his teammates, he could thrive equally a “fake No. ix” inwards a possession-based side.

Given his start-stop progression over the past times years, Felix may even so live a gamble given areported €100m transfer fee (or €8m loan fee), yet the potential upside is meaning.

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Youssoufa Moukoko, xviii, ST,Borussia Dortmund

Since Moukoko has been inward the spotlight since he made his debut too scored inward the Champions League for Dortmund days after turning sixteen, it’s hard to believe that he is exclusively only xviii. His mini-breakthrough this flavour — taking over from the departed Erling Haaland — saw him score 6 goals inwards 14 games earlier theWorld Cup, together with with his contract expiring inwards 2023, has predictably led to mounting speculation almost his future.

At this bespeak of his development, the Cameroon-born Germany international would be more than of a long-term projection for an ambitious Premier League side, but the prospect of landing i of the top teenage talents inward Europe on the inexpensive isenticing for Todd Boehly & Co.

With speed as well as splendid dribbling skills, Moukoko is primarily a threat on counterattacks together with transitions, though his always-improving finishing abilities as well as venomous left-foot shot also give him an edge in tight spaces inwards the box.

Marcus Thuram, 25, FW, Borussia Monchengladbach

Afterimpressing at the 2022 World Cup with French Republic, Thuram has a host of admirers looking to sign him on the cheap as he has but half-dozen months left on his contract. Having been moved to a more central place inwards the Gladbach attack this season (previously he mainly featured every bit a left winger) the tall, robust and quick frontward has scored 10 goals from xv Bundesliga outings.

As a termination of the tactical tweak, he has started tofind the internet from new areas, though predominantly through outpacing the opposing backline, sharp i-touching finishes inwards the box (oftentimes with his weaker left pes) together with applying his physique inwards a more assertive manner. Thuram’s versatility would be an property to Chelsea, spell he could also become the focal indicate in assail every bit a No. ix.

Memphis Depay, 28, FW,Barcelona

Having been strongly linked with a transfer in the summertime, the Netherlands international may live a skilful move if all else fails. Although, since the recent arrival of a new technical set-upwardly too scouting department, Chelsea seem to work inward a more coordinated, forrard-thinking manner, which could run into them displace on to other targets.

Admittedly,Depay’s stint at Barca (solely 2 league appearances this flavor) hasn’t been especially successful. But it is slowly to forget how he carried Lyon prior to his ill-fated complimentary transfer in 2021 too the fact that he is reaching his peak at 28.

The lack of playing fourth dimension at his lodge tin explicate Depay’s relatively ordinary operation at the 2022 World Cup, but he should however be capable of making an touch with a alter ofenvironment. His link-upwardly game, power to slot into a variety of attacking roles as well as leadership qualities are all notwithstanding there together with, with his contract due to expire adjacent summertime, striking a bargain inward January shouldn’t prove besides much of a challenge.

David Datro Fofana, xx, FW, Molde

The Cote d’Ivoire international arrived inward Norway with a reputation equally one of the most promising talents in West Africa too, followinga yr of adaptation, he demonstrated precisely why he was held inward such high regard. Amid a serial of sensational private displays, he ended the flavor with fifteen league goals from 19 starts together with grabbed the Norwegian Eliteserien’s Young Player of the Season laurels.

Apart from his goal scoring — which he tin can do from a varied laid of techniques, angles, distances as well as positions — it’s Fofana’s quick conversion of idea into activeness, combined with fine technical ability, that deserves to behighlighted. Courtesy of his fine shut control, agility in addition to torso command, he evades markers in tight areas with intuitive ease. Furthermore, he carries the ball with such stride that he almost appears to gain speed every bit he runs with it.

Whether signed with the intention of immediate commencement-squad exposure or every bit i for the hereafter (at that place’s nonetheless naivety to live rooted out of his game), Fofana’s capability of single-handedly creating goal-scoring opportunities (albeit at a significantly lower levelthan the English Premier League) understandably made him an attractive suggestion for elite European clubs.

Andrey Santos, xviii, CM, Vasco da Gama

A hugely talented fundamental midfielder who has already starred for Brazil’s youth teams in addition to stood out as a regular for Vasco da Gama in the second tier of Brazilian league football. While it’s still likewise early to predict what role Chelsea have inward listen for him inward thelong-term — or whether he will be kept, or sent out on loan this flavor — his intrinsic technical too physical qualities are beyond dubiety.

Partly a ball-winning No. 6, partly a technically superb ball-carrying No. 8, Santos’ swell touches in addition to body feints in fundamental areas assist him avoid the opposition press, as well as his rest sees him retain the ball good. In improver to all his technical qualities, he covers broad areas, has an impressive determination too plays with high intensity. If thatwasn’t enough, his aerial game is strong for a cardinal midfielder, he scores from distance and already has the nous to fourth dimension effective late runs into the box.