Date: 3rd August 2021 at 9:32pm
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You don’t need a UEFA Pro coaching license to work out what area on the pitch is holding Chelsea back from competing for a 6th Premier League title.

Only Manchester City (745) had more shots than Chelsea (625) last season, yet the current Premier League Champions scored 25 more goals than the current Champions of Europe.

They weren’t the only ones either, Manchester United, Leicester City, Liverpool, Tottenham, Leeds and West Ham all out scored our total of 58.

Frank Lampard couldn’t find a solution, and those issues carried over into the reign of Thomas Tuchel- we don’t put the ball into the back of the net enough.

That’s why this summer has seen Chelsea linked with various strikers across the continent.

Erling Håland, Harry Kane, Robert Lewandowski and now the apparent front runner Romelu Lukaku.

All proven goal-scorers both domestically and in Europe and appear the perfect antidote to Chelsea’s shyness in-front of goal.

They don’t come cheap, with Chelsea’s latest bid for Lukaku rumoured to be £85 million plus cult hero Marcos Alonso, which probably makes the transfer worth around £100 million.

That’s still £50 million cheaper than Håland and £60 million cheaper than Kane.

Questions are still to be answered about which striker is best suited to Tuchel’s side, personally I think you get the youngest option in Håland and pay that extra £50 million, but then again it isn’t my money.

Kane is a proven Premier League goal machine, but he’s also injury prone and heading towards his thirties.

We also saw in the Euro’s how little he’s prepared to do off the ball, and I don’t think that suits Tuchel’s style.

Having said that I think securing his signature, whether that’s Chelsea or Manchester City, secures you the league title.

My thoughts on Lukaku are similar, but in his favour over Kane is his fitness and sheer presence. Reece James would be in his element putting crosses into the box for him to get on the end of.

Plus he had the chance to join 4 years ago and chose Manchester United insteadz

Add to that he’s 29 now, so how long does that £100 million hold it’s value?

I suppose the answer to that question depends on whether you’re really bothered by the clubs finances or not.

If £100 million secures you a Premier League title are you happy for the club to spend it? The answers most probably a yes.

After scoring the winner against Arsenal in our first pre-season friendly, Tammy Abraham spoke about them working on the high press that resulted in his winning goal.

Will Kane or Lukaku do that kind of thing?

And speaking of Abraham, what remains of the current squad? Oliver Giroud is gone, Armando Broja will likely leave on loan and Abraham will more likely than not be sold.

That leaves Timo Werner and Kai Havertz as the two options upfront, and while I love Havertz as the number 9, it’s just not enough.

Will Werner “come good”? I think what we’ve seen is what we’ll get. A striker that puts so much fear into defenders with his pace, will get 4 great chances in a game but will be lucky to score one.

The lights seem on, but is anybody home?

If we don’t sign a striker is it the end of the world? We won the Europe Cup (did I mention that already?) without one, outclassing both Madrid sides and City in the process.

But the numbers don’t lie, Chelsea were the worst club in terms of underperforming their XG.

And to solve that, we’re going to have to strike it lucky this summer.

 

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