Chelsea are reportedly back in the mix for a striker target that missed out on in the summer that could have been paying major dividends this season. Samu Aghehowa was on his way to Chelsea but a mix of issues because of an ankle injury and image rights negotiations killed the transfer before it ever materialized.
At that point Aghehowa was with Atletico Madrid and they were reportedly willing to sell him for some amount close to £34 million plus add-ons. He was coming off a year on loan with Deportivo Alaves and had scored just 8 goals in 35 appearances with the Spanish club.
After the Chelsea deal fell through, the situation between Aghehowa and Atleti had deteriorated and they agreed to sell him to Porto for significantly less than they were going to get from the Blues. With Porto he has thrived with 13 goals in 19 Primeira Liga appearances and 19 goals in 31 total appearances for the Dragons.
This year’s totals would almost certainly raise the asking price for the young Spaniard but it may be a price Chelsea are willing to pay for his services. According to CaughtOffside they will be fighting with Aston Villa and Arsenal for the striker and both clubs will be willing to splash the cash.
Arsenal are looking for an alternative to Kai Havertz who has been solid but unspectacular and Villa want to replace Jhon Duran who left in a surprise move to Saudi Arabia. Villa may be the bigger draw as he would face less competition for a starting role after Duran’s departure.
The 19 goals for Aghehowa are one of the positives but his physical attributes are what make him especially enticing. He stands tall at 6’4” and nearly 200lbs so he is a load to deal with for opposing defenders, especially when he is asked to hold up play and use his body to win the ball.
In addition to his size, Aghehowa has excellent pace and a high work rate that helps create chances out of nothing. There are concerns about his youth and ability to adapt to the Premier League but he fits the profile of a player that Chelsea’s new ownership has been pursuing.
Chelsea have several players that can occupy the false nine role and roam the attacking midfield but only Nico Jackson fits the profile of a tradition number 9. Marc Guiu is more of a second striker than a target man and adding Aghehowa would be excellent business. He is not proven like Victor Osimhen or some of the other names bandied about but he could be the one to lead Chelsea’s front line for years to come.