Chelsea should build squad for more goals across the pitch, not just at striker

The race for next season’s Premier League title is already underway as clubs look to strengthen their weak areas through transfer window. Chelsea require additional manpower on offence for their return to the Champions League, but they do not need to go for broke to find a striker.

Maurizio Sarri has changed the playing style of Chelsea, putting up some impressive numbers in midfield but still only finding the back of the net 63 times. This is only one more than in 2017/18, leaving Chelsea with the lowest number of goals scored amongst the top six clubs for two seasons in a row.

This leaves many people suggesting the Blues need a striker with fierce reputation and impeccable finishing, splashing an outrageous amount of cash if necessary to buy such a player. But do Chelsea need a “pure striker,” or do they need to think differently?

Over the last five seasons, Chelsea’s leading scorer has been either Eden Hazard or Diego Costa. For the three seasons Costa led the front line and the scoring table, he was not way ahead of the Blues’ second-most productive scorer. Other than Costa – especially in the two seasons since he left – wingers and midfielders have contributed more than a striker.

So with Chelsea possibly losing Eden Hazard, is it more important for them to replace the goals they have not had for several years at striker, or to build up more goals from the wingers and midfielders?

Chelsea should continue having goal-scoring balance across the pitch. They should not waste money over an expensive striker if that comes at the expense of goals from the midfield and wings.

The focus must be to rebuild the team and find the players who can contribute 5-6 Premier League goals every season, and not just putting all the eggs in one striker basket. Barcelona offers one extreme example: their dependency on one player led them to a humiliating defeat at Liverpool.

Fortunately, Chelsea have the bench strength of some talented Cobham-nurtured players. The only major obstruction is using them appropriately. The coach needs to understand that finding momentum for these players – giving them chances, maintaining squad rotation – must be his highest pressing matter.

The simple way to cover the goals gap left by Diego Costa and possibly by Eden Hazard is making sure most of the players can be counted on to score in the Premier League. Gonzalo Higuain and Olivier Giroud should both remain in the squad, as their experience will always be useful.

For Chelsea, it is not about scoring more goals like Manchester City or Liverpool. The aim is to build a team that can work as a machine and keep producing results for years. Once such players are settled in, they will produce maximum efforts in every situation.

Buying an expensive striker is not the right option anymore. Besides, in the last 10 years the only two strikers who were able to make an impact at Stamford Bridge were Didier Drogba and Diego Costa. The list of failed strikers is long and costly enough.

Chelsea’s all-time highest goal scorer is a midfielder, Frank Lampard. He scored 147 league goals, which works out to about one goal every 2.9 games. Didier Drogba’s scoring rate in the Premier League was one goal every 2.4 games.

Chelsea must continue their history of scoring goals through their midfield and wingers. Let the coach squeeze in the strikers he has, and if they can contribute even 10 goals per season, it might turn out a winning formula at Stamford Bridge.