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.
2. Michael Olise
According to Fabrizio Romano, the west Londoners and Manchester City are both in the race to sign Crystal Palace winger Michael Olise. Olise reportedly has a release clause of around £35m and the Blues are willing to slightly in excess of it to acquire the forward. he is Premier League-proven and will have likely have an easier time adapting to Chelsea than other targets. The U21 French national recorded 11 assists last season ranking him fourth in the division along with two goals.
This Chelsea team needs creators more than ever. Last season the Blues failed to have a player record five premier league assists with Raheem Sterling being the team’s leader in creation with a measly three assists. Olise immediately adds that threat to Chelsea’s final output and although he may not rank highly for goals, his proven ability to create chances for his teammates will prove crucial in this Mauricio Pochettino side.
Realistically, Olise is the readiest of all targets to contribute to the Blues first team. Although, a major setback to signing him is that he’s currently nursing a torn hamstring injury. Although it’s rumored to not be too serious, he is expected to miss the beginning of the season and that is surely something to be considered while engaging in serious negotiations.
1. Mohammed Kudus
Last season Mohammed Kudus stock took a big spike as he became a focal point of a rebuilding Ajax side and starred in the midseason World Cup with Ghana scoring a couple of goals along with an assist in the group stage. Kudus is the most versatile option among Chelsea’s targets. He will usually start games as a right winger but tends to drift centrally and drop deeper in the midfield to receive the ball and progress it.
The majority of Kudus’ goal involvements come from central areas in and out of the opposition penalty box making him the ideal attacking midfielder behind a striker. Yet his speed, dribbling and dynamism also make him a capable right winger for squad depth as well.
The Ghanaian forward can immediately add a spark to this attack, with his ability to dribble, drive the ball forward. In addition, his final output is also impressive, recording 11 goals and four assists for Ajax in the league. This was along with six goal contributions in the same amount of Champions League matches.
According to the Athletic’s David Ornstein, CFC are close to agreeing personal terms with Kudus as he is keen on the move. Negotiations with the Dutch side will be the deciding factor on whether a transfer is agreed.