No manager in soccer had a better offseason than Jose Mourinho did for Chelsea a year ago when he filled out his roster with Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas. Costa leads the Blues in goals scored this season while Fabregas leads the team in assists. The Blues wouldn’t have been nearly as dominant without either one of them.
With a Premier League title locked up, Mourinho has now turned his focus to next season, admitting that he would like to sign a striker this summer. Costa is undoubtedly the team’s No. 1 option up front but Mourinho could want to see an upgrade from Loic Remy and Didier Drogba as the top two strikers off the bench. With upgrades on the way, here is a look at four strikers that could be a quality fit with Chelsea.
Edison Cavani
It was Cavani that scored the equalizer against Chelsea in the first leg of PSG’s Champions League round of 16 showdown with the Blues and he must have left a positive impression on Mourinho. Early reports indicate that he would be the first choice for the club to acquire this summer. Cavani isn’t the cheapest option available but with Manchester United and Liverpool both reportedly interested in his services, it would make sense for Chelsea to try to strike first and find a way to land him before a bidding war ensues. Whether or not Cavani is willing to accept the role of coming off the bench behind Costa could play a major role in if he ends up at Chelsea. However, there is no doubt that his world-class skill level and experience would make him the perfect fit up front for the Blues.
Antoine Griezmann
The Atletico Madrid man would make for a very interesting target for Chelsea if they are truly willing to meet the 43 million euro price tag for his release clause. Griezmann is a talented and experienced striker that has had some success in La Liga. He has run hot and cold at times this season and could benefit from a change of scenery. Whether or not Mourinho would be willing to pay the price for his services makes for an interesting storyline to keep an eye on – especially since he would come off the bench at Stamford Bridge. Considering that he isn’t the type of player that always demands to be in the spotlight, he could be a worthy fit for the Chelsea attack as their second striker.
Mauro Icardi
Icardi’s name has been linked to a move to England for some time now with the usual suspects like Manchester United and Liverpool supposedly very interested in acquiring him from Inter Milan. Chelsea is in the mix too as he seems like exactly the type of player that Mourinho is looking for up front. Icardi has proven himself as an excellent pure finisher in the Serie A this season and while he would probably prefer the No. 1 role somewhere else, the allure of playing for a title contender and in the Champions League behind Costa with the potential to eventually succeed him as the Blues’ No. 1 striker might be enough for Mourinho to lure him to Stamford Bridge…if they are willing to pay the price.
Ciro Immobile
Immobile has had a very inconsistent season with Borussia Dortmund and while he has the skill level to succeed in Germany, both he and the team might feel the best thing would be for him to have a change of scenery. Dortmund’s desire to bring in someone else to pair with Marco Reus up front would fuel their need for cash and the Blues could be willing to pay for Immobile’s services. Chelsea certainly wouldn’t have to pay as much for Immobile as they would for Griezmann and the Italian striker could be an excellent fit as a complimentary player to Costa as the first striker off the bench for the Blues next season.
