The transfer window has been open for a little over a month now. The Euros and Copa America have taken a majority of the best players in world football and demanded their attention for a few weeks, so the transfer window has been relatively quiet. This is especially true in the case of Chelsea, who has yet to sign one player. The Blues’ transfer activity has been limited to extensions, sales and rumors—the latter of which being dominated by talk of an incoming striker.
Olivier Giroud is now on his way to AC Milan, as well. Although the Frenchman had a minimal role in Thomas Tuchel’s side, his departure is still a huge loss for Chelsea. The Blues are now left with just one natural No. 9 in Tammy Abraham, who has also been linked to a summer exit. This means Marina Granovskaia and Co. will likely turn to the transfer market for alternatives. Nevertheless, that isn’t the team’s only option. Tuchel can solve his sticky striker situation multiple different ways. Before diving into these options, it’s important to note that the solutions being offered in this piece are based on the assumption Tuchel sticks with a 3-4-3. Therefore, there will be no scenarios in which Kai Havertz and Timo Werner play off one another as a striking pair, although that would be possible in a formation such as a 4-4-2. This article explores options for a lone, out-an-out striker.
Here are the four ways Chelsea can fill its striker void this summer:
1. The loan army
The first option Tuchel has is to turn to the loan army to fill this void in the side. Surprisingly enough, the Blues have three options on this front, although all of them are more unlikely to happen than the alternatives presented later on. Chelsea sent three strikers out on loan last season who can be considered ready to play in the first team somewhere in Europe (as opposed to being an academy-level player). These individuals are Michy Batshuayi, Armando Broja and Ike Ugbo.
Broja looks the most likely of the trio to have an impact on the Blues’ senior side. The Albanian international is still just 19, but he impressed during his loan stint last season. The young Chelsea striker reached double-digit goals for Vitesse, scoring 11 in 34 games during his maiden professional campaign. The Blues were said to be so impressed with his performances that he’s getting a contract extension that runs through 2026 and he’ll train with the first team during preseason. Nevertheless, it’s a tall order to ask Broja to lead the line next season for the European Champions. He’s one to watch for in the future, it’s unlikely he stays and plays for Tuchel next season though.
The next two individuals are the embodiment of long shots to play for Chelsea again, especially next season. Batshuayi spent the last season away at Crystal Palace once again, this loan far less impactful than his last. He’s always struggled to really find his groove in England, with his game translating better to the Bundesliga and Ligue 1. Batshuayi is a cult hero for his fun-loving personality off the pitch and his title-clinching goal at West Brom a few seasons ago, but it’s difficult to see him ever donning the Blues’ badge ever again.
Lastly, there is Ugbo, who has been heavily linked to a move away from Chelsea in recent months. This would have seemed impossible given how heavily Watford was pursuing the English forward a few weeks ago. However, that ship has now sailed. Ugbo, 22, is coming off the best season of his young career to date. He took the Jupiler Pro League by storm with Cercle Brugge, finding the back of the net 16 times in 32 appearances. Ugbo represents another young option Tuchel could keep around, only if another team doesn’t move for him first.
2. The current roster
Whereas looking to the loan army seemed unlikely because none of those No. 9s are particularly ready to lead the line for Chelsea, the options available to Tuchel on the current roster don’t look to be enough for an entirely different reason. For the sake of the article, it’s assumed Giroud is already gone as his transfer is all but official at this point in time. That leaves Timo Werner and Abraham as the Blues’ only realistic options up top.
The former has shown that he struggles to play the center forward role alone in the Premier League. Deploying Werner as a lone No. 9 works against some sides, but he is largely incapable of dealing with the size and strength of central defenders in England’s top flight. The German thrived at RB Leipzig as a part of a two-man striking system under Julian Nagelsmann. Frank Lampard and Tuchel have left no stone unturned in the Premier League as they tried to get him firing as the Blues’ lone striker, but things simply never worked out. It’s for this reason that many believe he is better when playing out wide.
Werner’s debut season with Chelsea has largely been dubbed a failure by football fans across the world. Those who watched him know that even though he struggled, he was still integral to the UCL-winning attack. The 24-year-old tallied 27 goal contributions, a figure that was easily the highest on the team. Werner can play as a striker, but it seems as if the club wants to go in a different direction for that position next season.
The one individual who has looked capable of leading the line on his own is Abraham. The young striker started his senior Chelsea career off firing on all cylinders under Lampard. An injury and a run of bad form saw him take a step back during Project Restart, but that’s nothing out of the ordinary for a young forward. Abraham is one of the Blues’ most talented attacking pieces. That said, even when they were struggling to score goals as the campaign drew to a close, Tuchel simply didn’t turn to Abraham to help solve the issue. Only a handful of people know what the issue between the two is, although it seems purely tactical as they’ve shown no signs of a fractured personal relationship. Regardless, Abraham cannot get on the pitch right now.
A full preseason could change this as he’s already at Cobham working with Tuchel before the rest of the team arrives for training. There are still rumors linking him to a move away though, which is something the gaffer has to keep in the back of his mind.
3. A false nine
The most creative solution to Chelsea’s striker deficiency is turning to a false nine. The phrase alone is enough to bring back flashbacks of a failed tactical change during the final days of Antonio Conte’s reign. That said, the Blues are in much better hands than they were then as it relates to attacking options—the main reason being the club’s wunderkind.
Havertz was deployed as a false nine numerous times last season under both Lampard and Tuchel. His spectacular showings against Crystal Palace and Fulham toward the end of the season gave spectators a glimpse of what he can accomplish when tasked with starting up front. In those two contests, the German youngster scored three goals and added an assist. His stats were not eye-popping during his maiden season in England (nine goals and nine assists), but he did add those aforementioned contributions during his minimal time at center forward. Simply put, much like Mason Mount, the 22-year-old is someone that has to start for Chelsea. This is regardless of position.
Havertz is well-suited for this role because of the technical ability he possesses. He is one of the best finishers in Europe and he can score many different ways. The versatile youngster possesses a lethal left foot and his height helps him get a good head to the ball. Havertz is no slouch with his right foot either. In addition to being one of the continent’s most talented finishers, his play style fits that of a false nine. Havertz has a tendency to drift throughout a match. This allows him to find and create space easily, similar to his compatriot, Thomas Muller.
The presence of Havertz on the Blues’ roster puts fans at ease as we turn the corner and head into next season. If Chelsea is unable to make any moves at the striker spot, it is not doomed thanks to Havertz. The thought of him getting looks up top actually excites many across the fan base, and for good reason.
4. The transfer market
All of the alternatives discussed up to this points have a huge risk factor involved with them. It’s hard to envision Broja, Batshuayi or Ugbo playing regularly for the reigning Champions of Europe next season. Further, making Werner work as a lone No. 9 feels like we’ve been trying to jam a round peg into a square hole for too long. Tuchel doesn’t fancy Abraham and Havertz is a wildcard, so the options are not exciting per se. That’s why the transfer market exists. The talk of the summer surrounding Chelsea has been about one thing and one thing only: a world class center forward.
The tricky part about these moves is they are incredibly difficult to pull off. There are issues that make each potential transfer seem impossible right now, which is why we’re forced to look at creative ways to solve the Blues’ scoring issues. In order to remain on top of European football, Chelsea has to bring in someone who is guaranteed to improve the side. The list of those players is few and far between at this point. It seems as if three individuals have been targeted by Granovskaia and Tuchel this summer: Erling Haaland, Harry Kane and Romelu Lukaku.
Haaland is emerging as one of the world’s biggest names due to his excellent goal scoring record for Dortmund in the Bundesliga and Champions League. The 20-year-old Norwegian is being courted by every major club in Europe and for good reason. His Dortmund release clause kicks in next summer, which is sure to be a fight to the death, so Chelsea is amongst the clubs willing to break the bank for the striker right now. It’ll take about £150 million to get the German giants to the table though. No move involving the transfer of this much money is easy to make, so expect these rumors to drag on until late August.
The complications with Kane do not even need to be explained in depth. Daniel Levy simply refuses to do business with the Blues. As it relates to his world class No. 9, Spurs seem unwilling to talk to anyone about a transfer. Meanwhile, Lukaku has publicly expressed his desire to stay in Milan after Inter’s title-winning campaign. Chelsea prefers to work in the shadows, so this deal isn’t off the table, but it’s become more tricky as he’s taken a public stance.
Alternatively, there are lesser options out there in Alexander Isak and Dusan Vlahovic, but those links have been scarce. The fact remains that the Blues would be better off than they are now if they were to sign any of these individuals. Overall, this goes to show that Chelsea is not completely doomed if it doesn’t though.
What do you think the Blues should do? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!