Stamford Bridge hasn’t been a happy hunting ground for a host of strikers since Chelsea’s rise to power. The recent demise of Alexander Pato and Radamel Falcao in a blue shirt follows other big names like Fernando Torres and Andrey Shevchenko. The only standout player in that regard is Didier Drogba and that makes unpleasant reading for the scouts and transfer committee at the club.
Whether they were nurtured in a toxic environment or were simply off the pace due to long term injuries differs for these hitmen, who once took centre stage in the European circuit with outstanding performances. The much maligned Diego Costa may have chipped in with plenty of goals over two campaigns with the West Londoners but has been deemed a nuisance and an unethical player for his antics on the pitch. While the rumours suggesting the Brazil-born Spaniard was eyeing a return to Atletico Madrid and Vincente Calderon, his old stomping ground have been extinguished for good, his temperament has been questioned and a manager of Antonio Conte’s nature may not see fit in dealing with the negativity surrounding his rough style of play on a regular basis.
Chelsea’s latest recruit, Michy Batshuayi has been viewed as one for the future. The 22-year-old Belgian plied his trade with Marseille last season and was one of their best players in a disappointing domestic campaign. Even with all his endearing qualities, though, it is widely believed Chelsea need a third forward to complete the gauntlet and spearhead their title charge.
With talks regarding the availability of Romelu Lukaku having broken down in recent days, one name that has popped up from the ashes is Juventus’ Mario Mandzukic. The 30-year-old has been slightly unsettled over the past few seasons, having moved to Atletico Madrid from Bayern Munich two seasons ago only to end up in Turin a year later. Known for his aerial strength and defensive fortitude, Mandzukic has been an important player at both ends of the pitch and continues to operate diligently in his capacity for both the Italian champions and the Croatian team.
He has been linked with a move to the Premier League before and may have earned that during his five-year stay in Germany but Mandzukic is not an ideal alternative for Chelsea right now and as a potential signing they may not benefit from. This can be drawn up for a host of reasons.
Conte’s style of football requires his players to be rigorous and tactically in sync with each other. Having operated under more free-flowing teams in the past, Mandzukic may find this system difficult to adapt to and at his age, a major challenge for his career. His inability to acclimatize to a highly structured blueprint was the reason he was offloaded to Juventus from Atletico Madrid in the first place and his tendency to drift in and out of games may not do him any favours in that regard either.
Here’s another factor that gives him away- his over-reliance on aerial balls. As was the case with Christian Benteke at Liverpool, depending on lofted balls for headers is exactly what Mandzukic has done all his career. His link up play is not as strong as that of Diego Costa and his lack of speed to get behind defenders is well covered by Batshuayi. Having either one of these characteristics is essential for Conte and the Premier League and with the Croatian seemingly unable to tick those boxes, pursuing him is rendered a risky move for Chelsea.
Less demanding leagues like the Serie A seems to be ideal for him and a modest return of 10 goals in Juventus’ title-winning campaign may well skyrocket this year, should he play alongside record signing Gonzalo Higuain. As for Chelsea and the Premier League, though, Mandzukic is a risk that bears more cons than pros.