FOUR strikers instead of Drogba for Chelsea

Speculation has been running wild that Chelsea legend Didier Drogba, who spent 2004-2012 with the Blues, could be returning to the London club as a second-team striker and coach. While a move for the Ivorian international star wouldn’t be very expensive in this capacity, it could further crowd an already unstable forward group.

That situation grew even more uncertain as Mourinho announced yesterday that Chelsea have agreed to loan Demba Ba to Beskitas for next season. That leaves the newly-signed Diego Costa, the underachieving Fernando Torres, and Romelu Lukaku, also expected to be out on loan next season, as the only true forwards on the squad.

Mourinho is said to be looking for another striker, and while Drogba would be a nice addition, the Portuguese boss can’t expect a lot out of the 36-year-old at this point in his career. Here are FIVE strikers that Chelsea could rely heavily on next season.

Edinson Cavani

The 27-year-old Uruguayan striker is no stranger to major level European competition, having spent last season at Paris Saint-Germain after three seasons at Napoli. PSG spent a French football record €64.5m on him last season, and are reportedly not keen to parting with him after just one season.

But reports have surfaced that Cavani has informed his agent that he is itching for a Premier League move, much to the delight of England’s top clubs. He enjoyed a productive season, scoring 16 goals in 30 matches for PSG despite playing behind Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

His ability to play well with other stars (Ibrahimovic and Ezequiel Lavezzi for PSG, Luis Suarez and Diego Forlan for Uruguay) should make him an ideal target for Chelsea, who also wouldn’t mind putting some pressure on Diego Costa to keep his form in top shape. He would be a pricey addition, but may be their best option at this point.

Ezequiel Lavezzi

Like his teammate Cavani, Lavezzi is hoping to move to the Premier League this offseason due to the crowded attacking unit the French Club are currently boasting. The 29-year-old has been with PSG since 2012 after playing with Napoli for five seasons before that.

Measuring 1.73 meters, Lavezzi would offer a different skill set at forward than Cavani. He relies more on pace and dribbling, both of which would be ideal for Mourinho to bring in off the bench behind Costa.

He was much more productive in that reserve role last season, scoring twelve goals and adding ten assists in 48 matches, with his first two coming against Dynamo Kiev to secure PSG’s spot in the Round of 16 of last years’ Champions League.

Gonzalo Higuain

Yet another Napoli product would fit nicely for Chelsea, as this 26-year-old thrived in his first season at the Italian club. After spending six full seasons at Spanish giant Real Madrid, the Argentine netted 24 goals and 11 assists in 44 matches.

Having been sold for roughly €40m, it would be difficult to expect his price to be less than that given his level of productivity and Napoli’s desire to hold onto him. In fact, the club like him so much they have recently announced he carries a price tag of €100m.

As a result of this, and given Higuain’s desires to stay on with Napoli, acquiring him will be extremely difficult for any club. But many said that about Luis Suarez leaving Liverpool as well.

Alexandre Pato 

After six years at AC Milan, the 24-year-old Brazilian returned home to Corinthians, where he scored ten goals in 28 matches. Then a messy situation with the clubs’ head coach forced a move to Sao Paulo that will keep him there on loan until December 2015.

All of this leads to speculation that Pato could be had by a club for the right price, although his current club have said they would prefer holding onto him.

Pato fell out of favor with Milan after a few productive seasons there, so a deal for him would likely represent a fall back option in the event Mourinho misses out on another striker.