Enzo Maresca got down to business as Chelsea manager on Monday as he labeled the Stamford Bridge side ‘one of the biggest clubs in the world’ in his first interview. Chelsea have won the Champions League twice across the last 15 years but Maresca faces a daunting task to return them to the elite of European football. Despite an encouraging end to the season, Mauricio Pochettino lost his job with Chelsea consigned to Europa Conference League football under Maresca.
The former Leicester City manager will have a full inbox to deal with but one of the pressing issues will be to sign a new striker. It’s no secret that Chelsea has been in the market for a new No.9 to provide competition for Nicolas Jackson. The 23-year-old looked incredibly erratic at points last season but he ended with a decent goal return of 17 in all competitions. Chelsea have signed Marc Guiu from Barcelona as a potential star of the future but they’ve been linked with a host of immediate first-team stars, especially Victor Osimhen. The Napoli striker has a market value of €100 million and it’s understood that Chelsea have been unwilling to match the Italian club’s valuation – Romelu Lukaku remains a Chelsea player but he’s expected to be sold. So we’ve analyzed five potential striker alternatives with a market value of €50m or lower on Transfermarkt.
Ivan Toney is currently with England at Euro 2024 but he’s destined to leave Brentford this summer. Toney only has one year left of his contract to run and Brentford won’t want their prized asset to leave for free. Brentford’s valuation for Toney has been eye-watering but it’s understood that they’ve lowered that fee. Chelsea have been linked strongly with Toney in the past and he’d immediately compete with Jackson for a starting role. At 28, Toney would represent a deviation from Chelsea’s transfer policy of signing young talents but he’d provide an experienced attacking option. The Englishman scored 32 goals in 64 Premier League games before his suspension and he remains on Chelsea’s radar.
Like Toney, Jonathan David has entered the last twelve months of his contract and Lille will sanction his sale this summer. The Canadian international has been perennially linked with a move to England that could now arrive. At 24, David fits Chelsea’s transfer policy and his record in Ligue 1 is fairly impressive with 71 goals in 146 appearances. David has been on Chelsea’s radar for several seasons and they could land a cut-price deal due to his contract situation with Lille.
Santiago Gimenez enjoyed a stunning breakthrough season with Feyenoord after scoring 23 goals in the Eredivisie. Players have struggled to replicate their effectiveness in the Dutch top-flight to the Premier League but Gimenez possesses the physical attributes to be a success. The Mexican international represents a different profile from Jackson as he’s a more traditional No.9 and that could appeal to Chelsea. Tottenham and Arsenal have been strongly linked with Gimenez, while links to Liverpool have increased after Arne Slot’s appointment but Chelsea could prove the best fit.
It was widely reported that Chelsea had a €40m bid rejected for Samu Omorodion earlier this summer. It’s understood that Atlético Madrid is holding out for a bigger offer to land a substantial profit after signing him for just €6m from Granada last summer. Omorodion hasn’t even played for Atletico after they loaned him to Alaves, where he scored nine La Liga goals. In our recent profile of the 20-year-old, our Spanish experts compared Omorodion to former Chelsea favorite Diego Costa and he fits Chelsea’s recruitment policy.
Chelsea has retained an interest in Jhon Durán since joined Aston Villa from Chicago Fire in the MLS just 18 months ago. The Colombian international was predominantly an impact player from the bench last season but he displayed his promise, scoring eight goals. There were strong reports earlier this summer that Durán’s move to Chelsea was essentially finalized but that speculation has gone quiet. The 20-year-old would be another development player and Maresca may want a more experienced option to complement the unpredictable Jackson.
Sourced from; Transfermarkt.com
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