Three reasons Chelsea should sign Andrea Belotti on a free transfer

3. Banter

It is no secret that Chelsea shares a very bitter bond with the local London rivals, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur. These are rivalries that are not confined to the football pitch either, they are ones that extend to the boardroom and transfer windows.

Historically, the Blues have hijacked a few deals from right under the noses of their local rivals. Notably, the Willian to Tottenham deal back in 2013 and Juan Mata to Arsenal move in 2011. What was more satisfying than the hijacking of these deals was the fact that both these signings actually turned out to be quite successful ones. Chelsea has also managed to sign a few players that made a big impact from these clubs, like Ashley Cole and Oliver Giroud. All of this being said, the Blues haven’t always won these off-the-pitch rivalries. For example, Chelsea had its potential move for Luka Modric get blocked by Tottenham in 2011.

Arsenal, Tottenham and West Ham have all been linked with a move for Belotti in the near future. Arsenal even had a €65 million bid rejected by Torino a few years back. If Chelsea manages to get Belotti on a free transfer whilst beating three other London teams to it, it would be a nice way for the Blues to assert their dominance over their London rivals. It’d also serve to remind everyone that Chelsea is the biggest club in London, be it on the pitch or off it. As discussed earlier, another similarity between Drogba and Belotti could end up being their habit of scoring decisive goals in London derbies.

Many could argue that Chelsea does not need another striker in its ranks, but it can be easy to forget that the Blues lost two strikers in last summer’s window. They replaced them with just the one forward in Romelu Lukaku. Belotti is the best striker available next summer and Chelsea can start negotiating a pre-contract as soon as January 2022. Also, if the Blues can manage to get him in January for a low price, they should strongly consider that. If he does not sign for an Italian team, it would be a shrewd signing from Chelsea and will pay dividends for years to come.

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