FOUR strikers to follow Diego Costa to Chelsea
Although Diego Costa’s arrival at Chelsea was initially met with jubilation, it’s fair to say his showings at the World Cup were sobering.
For a player so prolific for Atletico Madrid, the Brazilian-born Spain international barely mustered a notable effort for La Roja as the defending champions slipped out of the tournament at the group stage, in what will be looked back on as the major shock.
Injuries contributed to his below par displays, and Costa is expected to be the ‘main man’ at the Bridge next season, but Mourinho may well be looking to get another forward in to accompany him.
Samuel Eto’o has already left and Demba Ba will be close behind, leaving just Fernando Torres to compete with his compatriot.
Here are five strikers who could follow Costa to Chelsea and boost the Blues’ goal-getting powers…
Jackson Martinez
It would make a lot of sense for Mourinho to look to his old club Porto in order to strengthen his attack ahead of next season. Jackson Martinez has been in and out of the Colombia team at the World Cup, but the striker has already scored a couple of impressive goals against Japan.
Like past strikers who came to fame in Europe through their exploits for Porto, it’s only a matter of time before Martinez himself moves on and rides the wave of two prolific seasons in front of goal.
Martinez would be a great help to Diego Costa in sharing the scoring responsibility at Stamford Bridge. It’s also difficult to see where the major compromise in quality would be when rotating between the two.
Hulk
Hulk has long been linked with a move away from Zenit and to the Premier League. The Brazil international does divide opinion, however. He’s a regular for his national team and cost Zenit £48 million when they signed him from Porto in 2012. But many aren’t convinced.
His greatest asset is clearly his shooting, which can be devastating at times, though it’s also easy to be frustrated by the forward, who can go missing in a big way during matches.
Perhaps Jose Mourinho is the manager to get the best out of Hulk, who has a fantastic scoring record backing him from his days in Portugal. As a regular on the right of Brazil’s attack, Hulk would offer Mourinho the option to use him either through the middle or on the wings at Stamford Bridge.
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar has been marginalised for much of the most recent three international tournaments with the Netherlands, but the striker showed his worth against Mexico recently assisting Wesley Sneijder for the first Dutch goal and converting from the penalty spot, which saw the Oranje advance.
It says a lot about Huntelaar’s class that he’s been able to pick up where he left off. After a long injury layoff which last almost the entire first half of last season, the Schalke forward returned to the team after the winter break and finished the season on 14 goals in 21 games. For his national team, Huntelaar had yet to be involved at this World Cup before his cameo on Sunday.
The Dutch striker may be into his thirties now, but he remains one of Europe’s best finishers. He’d add a considerable amount of depth and quality to the Chelsea squad next season.
Romelu Lukaku
Romelu Lukaku may already be on the books at Chelsea, but there are many fans who believe he should be retained after spending the last two seasons at West Brom and Everton.
Lukaku looked to have created a sour relationship with Jose Mourinho, who certainly looks to be inclined to sell the forward at some stage this summer.
On one hands, selling Lukaku has a lot of upside due to the money that will be brought in. after his last two seasons on loan in the Premier League, there will be many clubs in England and abroad who will be enquiring after his services.
But Lukaku can also offer a lot to Chelsea. He knows the Premier League well, worked extremely hard for Roberto Martinez’s Everton last season and hits double figures for goals with ease. If the relationship between player and coach can be repaired, Lukaku could be a considerable asset to Chelsea.