What kind of goalscorer would Maurizio Sarri want for Chelsea?

Chelsea is becoming increasingly linked with wingers and midfielders. Maurizio Sarri needs a goalscorer but what kind does he want most?

Maurizio Sarri mentioned early in his Chelsea tenure that he was not looking to copy his Napoli team. That has held true over time. The basic plan at the start was very much the same but as the team has developed the overall nuances have changed.

The 4-3-3 remains but Jorginho is used higher up in the buildup and the team is not nearly as left side focused as Napoli was. Chelsea is slower in the buildup and more possession based (likely a result of still trying to learn Sarrismo). The Blues also spread their attacks out fairly evenly on both flanks and the center.

But the squad still feels a bit unbalanced on attack. Sarri needs a goalscorer to help the team go over the edge. Wingers and midfielders have been linked but which would Sarri prefer?

On paper, a goal scoring midfielder would make the most sense if Sarri was looking to replicate his Napoli side (which as already mentioned, is not his plan). The Blues have lacked a goal scoring midfielder for years and only Ross Barkley and Ruben Loftus-Cheek have flirted with fulfilling that need. But Sarri prefers Mateo Kovacic which effectively removes the chance of having a goal scoring midfielder (because he will surely not drop N’Golo Kante).

Therefore, it would appear the weakest position on the team, right wing, would be up for an upgrade. Pedro has goals in him but they are often infrequent and he has lost his starting spot since his injury. Willian creates a lot of chances but rarely creates assists or goals. Loftus-Cheek was used as a temporary solution but that does not appear to be the long term preference.

But very few of the wingers Chelsea has been linked to fit both Sarrismo and the goal scoring mold. Leon Bailey, Wilfried Zaha, Malcom and Nabil Fekir would fit the goal scoring but Sarri has rarely liked both his wingers to prefer cutting in. Christian Pulisic would fit Sarrismo better but his production is little different than Willian’s.

All five have been linked at various times since the summer with various reliability. The Bailey and Pulisic rumors are perhaps the most likely to happen as both players are in and out of their squads. Zaha is a fine big fish in a small pond but his time at Manchester United showed that he struggled when he was just another fish in an ocean. Malcom is practically a nonstarter. Fekir is unlikely to happen until the summer.

Fekir, however, could serve two functions. He can play in Sarri’s midfield or wide (albeit as an inverted player). He can score and create and would give Sarri the option to use him in either spot. That flexibility, while also getting the best player of the five, would be very appealing.

Of course, Sarri also said he was happy with the squad he had and had too many players to start with. Sarri believes he can work through the imbalance and turn a player into the one he needs. As the matches ramp up in intensity and frequency, it will be interesting to see if that plan changes.