Ranking Chelsea’s attacking midfield and forward options this summer
By Malcom David
The Chelsea squad exodus is in full swing. The club has bid farewell to a number of players this summer window such as the likes of N’golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic Mason Mount, Kai Havertz, and more. As a result, the Blues’ midfield and attacking output have taken a massive hit. The club is actively in the market to replace the voids left by the number of departures. A number of exciting young attacking midfielders/forwards have been linked to a move to Stamford Bridge, such as the likes of Rayan Cherki, Mohamed Kudus, and Michael Olise. Here are their subjective rankings and what each of them can bring to this Mauricio Pochettino Chelsea side.
Ranking Chelsea attacking midfield/forward options this summer
3. Rayan Cherki
Out of all Chelsea’s targets to replace the void in the attacking midfield/forward role left by Mason Mount, Lyon’s Rayan Cherki has probably attracted the most hype from the Blues’ online fan base. At only 18 years old, Cherki is one of Europe’s most exciting attacking talents. The Frenchman dazzled with his ability on the ball last season especially in the opposition’s box where his dribbling and technicality in tight spaces would terrorize defenders before often creating chances for his teammates.
According to FBref, Cherki ranked in the 97th percentile among attacking midfielders and forwards for shot creating actions with 6.15 a game. Cherki also ranks highly in progressive carries, progressive passing and touches in the opposition box, making him the clinical threat that Chelsea have been lacking in the final third. Despite the advanced attacking stats loving Rayan Cherki, he’s not yet the final product.
At 19 years old, expectedly his output in terms of actual goals and assists are not yet at an elite level with four goals and six assists in 34 Ligue 1 matches. In addition, working off the ball is a known weakness of his, a quality that is required for a Mauricio Pochettino side. It is also not a given that the former gets a lot of guaranteed gametime at CFC and for the sake of his development a young player of his caliber needs to be playing regularly.
Yet, Cherki is still the kind of talent that Chelsea may regret missing out on this summer. His potential ceiling is the highest out of all targets in his position and with his youth he still hasn’t truly reached his peak. However, reports have gone cold about interest in Cherki as Lyon are seemingly less willing to sell. As a result, CFC have turned their eyes to other targets.