Chelsea transfer rumours link to Richmond Boakye, because Juventus
By George Perry
Christmas is only 74 days away, which means the January transfer window is not far behind. Alvaro Morata’s injury holds the rumour mill rapt, which reports that Chelsea are scouting centre-forwards with a tie to Juventus, starting with Richmond Boakye.
Alvaro Morata had a lengthy list of positive attributes that made him Chelsea’s top transfer target going into the summer window. Beyond in addition to his demonstrated talent and success with the top teams in Italy and Europe, he also had a long-standing relationship with Antonio Conte. Both Conte and Morata wanted the chance to work together again, with Morata particularly eager to show that he can thrive out of the shadows of bigger stars.
Not too many strikers have that complete package. Some have the ability, some have the desire. Some have a record of success, and some have something to prove. Others played at Juventus and, well, that’s enough for the rumour mill these days.
The Daily Mail reports that Chelsea will send scouts to Arsenal’s Europa League match (is it as fun to read that as it is to type it?) against Red Star Belgrade. They will be assessing Belgrade’s 24-year old Ghanaian striker Richmond Boakye.
Boakye is in his second season at Red Star Belgrade, finishing 2016/17 with 12 goals. So far this season he has a pair of domestic goals, seven goals across Belgrade’s eight Europa League qualifiers and one against Cologne in the Europa League group stage.
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Richmond Boakye was on the books at Juventus from 2012-2014. In that span he made no appearances for the Old Lady, instead going on loan to Sassuolo in Serie B and La Liga’s Elche. He had previously been on loan to Sassuolo after progressing through Genoa’s academy to their first team roster. After Juventus sold him to Atalanta, the loaned him to Roda JC in the Eredivisie and then a loan-to-own to Latina Calcio. Latina Calcio, in turn, loaned him to Red Star Belgrade, who eventually picked him up on a free.
One would think that rather than buy a serial loanee, Chelsea would just recall or promote one of their own. But that is neither the Chelsea nor the transfer rumour mill way of doing things.
Antonio Conte spent last summer trying to acquire an experienced, established late-career striker to be Alvaro Morata’s backup. Fernando Llorente was supposedly Conte’s top choice. Llorente is the kind of player that Antonio Conte could regularly turn to as a mid-second half substitution, a viable option in the Champions League and a reliable full-90 fill-in for Alvaro Morata in the case of injury. Llorente, of course, is another Juventus alum.
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Richmond Boakye’s career does not point to him filling any of those roles at Chelsea. The gap between him and Llorente is too large to conclude that Conte would be satisfied with Boakye after having missed out on Llorente.
And as with any striker rumours, there is the question of Michy Batshuayi. If Chelsea were pursuing Boakye to reinforce Michy Batshuayi, ensuring Chelsea are two-deep for a two-striker formation, the transfer would make a bit more sense.
The scenario that makes the most sense is also the most cynical. Richmond Boakye, at age 24, is a stop-gap journeyman. Chelsea may see him as a half-season solution to cover any more injuries to Chelsea’s front-men between now and May. Then they – like all the others before – will send him on his way.
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Hopefully that is not under consideration, as that would be a bad turn for the Chelsea Way. The Blues do not need to play both sides of the temporary player market. Richmond Boakye is finally playing for his actual club. Chelsea have little reason and little to gain from disturbing that.