As the domestic season is about to come to an end, with just a few more competitive matches left to play, thoughts have turned to next season for many domestic managers, players and fans alike. However, the world will come together over the summer for the biggest footballing event of all time; the World Cup. For the lucky few that get to fly out to Brazil they will be hoping they can impress the domestic managers enough to either earn a permanent place in their team or use it as an advertisement of their skills.
For Chelsea, the need for a new striker is evident. All four of the current crop have been strongly linked with a move away so the Blues will have to do some serious scouting. The World Cup is a perfect place to do that. Many of the players below, if not all, are set to fly to Brazil in the coming weeks which makes them perfect candidates for viewing. So here are my top 5 strikers that Chelsea could sign:
1. Diego Costa – The Spaniard has literally torn up the La Liga and has worked unbelievably hard to secure the domestic league crown. The 25-year-old was on target 27 times in the Primera Division which was one behind Lionel Messi and four behind Cristiano Ronaldo. A fantastic achievement that has certainly caught the eye of Jose Mourinho as the London based club have been in contact with Atletico Madrid over the signing of their star striker.
2. Karim Benzema – This may well be the inclusion on the list that raises the most eye brows as Benzema has faced plenty of criticism ever since Euro 2012 where he flopped on the main stage. However, he has redeemed himself in my eyes and is still one of the best and most consistent in Europe. 17 goals and 9 assists is a very good tally for someone who has been labelled as ‘selfish’. Perhaps the cheaper option to Costa, but will still provide that constant goal threat.
3. Edinson Cavani – Not the most heavily linked with the club out of these five targets, but he’s certainly been subject to his fair share. With reports suggesting that the Uruguayan is unhappy playing second-fiddle to Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Chelsea have the chance to pounce on a very gifted player. Joint-second top goal scorer in Ligue 1 with 16 goals is a solid tally for a debut season. He’s also the one that is most inclined to leave at this time so if Mourinho wants a quick and easy deal, he could be the man.
4. Mario Balotelli – The Manchester City misfit has been far from that since his move to AC Milan. He’s been fit and firing in goals all season. Thrown in with some usual crazy antics for good measure. However, he has had some special moments in front of goal. He’s found the net 14 times in the Serie A this season which is a good tally, but he has missed a few games. Balotelli has Premier League experience which ranks him above everyone else on this list so if Mourinho was looking for that then the Italian will be high on the list.
5. Mario Mandzukic – The Bayern Munich star isn’t the man I’d like to see join over the summer for reasons I’ve expressed in other posts, but you can’t escape the fact that he is a consistent goal scorer at the very highest level of domestic football. 18 goals this campaign, also a very good tally. An option which Chelsea should consider, but only after they’ve explored other options first.
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