Since Diego Costa, the one common theme at Chelsea no matter who's in charge has been their struggle to find an out-and-out goalscorer to lead the line. We've seen the likes of Timo Werner, Alvaro Morata and Kai Havertz all fail in the number nine role at Stamford Bridge before Nicolas Jackson became the latest to endure moments to forget for the Blues.
Now, however, Mauricio Pochettino could finally solve Chelsea's striker problem with the potential arrival of one particular forward, with reports suggesting that the club could once again splash the cash in search of a solution for arguably their biggest problem in the Premier League.
Chelsea transfer news
Despite spending big in the summer in an attempt to secure their return to the Champions League places, Chelsea have continued to disappoint in stages this season and sit as low as 10th in the Premier League, 12 points adrift of a top-four place. On top of that, the Blues have already suffered defeats against the likes of Brentford, Everton, West Ham United and Nottingham Forest in a mixed campaign. It's clear that so far the summer spending has not worked out, making the January transfer window all the more important.
According to Pete O'Rourke of Football Insider, Chelsea are plotting a move to sign Feyenoord striker Santiago Gimenez, who has also attracted interest from Arsenal, Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur. The Dutch side will reportedly demand more than £60m for their forward's signature and are more likely to sanction a move in the summer transfer window rather than in January.
Speaking about the need for January arrivals, Pochettino told Sky Sports after Chelsea's defeat against Everton:
"After the first half of the season, we need to check. That is the reality. If we are not receiving enough, maybe we need to do some movement. That is the thing to analyse with the sporting directors, to see if we can change this dynamic and improve in the second half of the season. We need to be more aggressive. Then it's a massive assessment and when the transfer window opens, we will see what we can do. I don't say if I am going to ask for more or less players. It's to see if the perception matches the reality. We are missing something. We need to improve our reality."
"Fast" Gimenez can put an end to Chelsea's striker misery
Gimenez could finally solve Chelsea's striker nightmare if they secure his signature in January or next summer. The forward has enjoyed an excellent season and looks only likely to get even better at just 22 years of age. Here's how Gimenez's stats compare to Raheem Sterling and Jackon who, even combined, fail to reach the Mexican's goal tally.
Player
Goals
Assists
Expected Goals
Percentage of Shots on Target
Santiago Gimenez
18
3
14.1
48.3%
Raheem Sterling
5
2
3.5
39.3%
Nicolas Jackson
7
1
9.9
43.9%
Gimenez has also earned deserved praise from Liverpool icon Dirk Kuyt, who has said:
"He’s back here in the middle of the defenders and he’s really fast. Watching the keeper before he shoots, the rest. In my opinion, he is currently the best striker in the Eredivisie."
