Chelsea going after Krzysztof Piatek is an ironic comedy

Chelsea has once again been linked to Krzysztof Piatek, proving that reality is just a great big comedy with long punch lines.

The loan of Gonzalo Higuain was a terrible idea before it even happened. He was having a truly terrible season and the only reason, literally the only reason, people thought he would be good for Chelsea was because he had his best season under Maurizio Sarri over three years prior. It was such a short term and short sighted loan and little of Higuain’s actual performances changed that notion.

This was only made starker because AC Milan replaced Higuain with Krzysztof Piatek. While there was a legitimate fear that Piatek was one of the yearly one season wonders of Serie A, it was very clear that he would have been a better target over time than Higuain. Piatek largely continuing his performances from the first half of the season into the second half with Milan only accentuated that.

But now Piatek’s performances have dropped off. While admittedly, Milan is pretty bad, Piatek has slipped like a one season wonder tends to do in Serie A. That does not seem to have deterred Chelsea however, as they seem to have dug up that file they ignored a year ago to target Piatek once again.

Piatek 13 goals in 19 games for Genoa and nine in 18 for Milan last season. This season that has dropped all the way down to four in 18 games. There is a touch of unluckiness in those numbers as the overall xG has not changed much from his half season with Milan (6.5 to 6.2), but that should only make Chelsea wearier of such a signing.

The Blues are already somewhat unlucky in their chance conversion. What they do not need to do is target a striker, especially a depth striker to Tammy Abraham, who is somewhat unlucky already. Those unlucky numbers only get worse with less playing time and Chelsea would basically be swapping Michy Batshuayi’s rustiness for Piatek’s.

But the whole idea of Piatek is only made funnier because it is such a Chelsea thing to do. Chelsea surely scouted him last year when it was seemingly Piatek or Higuain. The Blues picked Higuain, and now a year later they have dusted off that old file at perhaps the least opportune time.

Piatek would have made sense this time last year. Now it just does not given the new year of data. Maybe he is the only real option available in the market for the Blues, but there is little proof that he would be a realistic upgrade over Michy Batshuayi. In a weird way, much like the Higuain signing was clearly not a great idea, a Piatek signing would not be a great idea currently either.

While recent weeks have increased the sense that Chelsea needs a signing, the reality is that the Blues have what they need to make top four already. It is better to wait for a signing that would legitimately improve the team rather than sign a warm body now that might.

Piatek could improve the Blues but it is no guarantee. And with him not being a sure thing, there is really little reason for the Blues to revert to a player they should have signed a year ago if they wanted him.