Chelsea ‘identify’ striker targets for January with £155m-valued star and Premier League forward on shortlist

Premier League giants Chelsea were once again the biggest spenders in the summer. This is a record they have maintained in all three transfer windows since the arrival of Todd Boehly, but once again the funds have not yet translated to results on the field and the Blues currently sit 15th with one win from their opening six games ahead of their Monday night contest with Fulham.

Such form has historically put managers under pressure and new boss Mauricio Pochettino will be desperate to avoid the fate of predecessors such as Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter who were both dismissed last season.

But despite external concerns it is reported by The Guardian that Chelsea are this time taking a much more data led approach into Pochettino’s work rather than simply focusing on results.

Chelsea owners are believed to be currently taking comfort in the fact that the team are statistically out running their opponents and controlling key factors such as possession. However, the Chelsea hierarchy are keen to address a key issue in January in a bid to turn performances into results and that is the striker position.

Newman Nicolas Jackson is yet to hit the ground running in Chelsea colours, while the likes of Raheem Sterling and Mykhailo Mudryk have both failed to hit the numbers that they were expected to achieve.

Reports from around Stamford Bridge claim that the club is planning a major move for a striker in the winter window to revive their season and the two names at the top of the list are Napoli man Victor Osimihen and the suspended Brentford star Ivan Toney.

Osimhen is currently one of the most in demand strikers in world football and he has scored an impressive five goals from seven appearances this season. He also hit an incredible 26 league goals last year as Napoli picked up their first league title since 1990.

But his future at Naples remains in doubt  after he became a victim of a TikTok scandal where the club’s social media compared him to a coconut. Osimhen’s agent hinted that the player may take legal action against the club and he has also deleted all pictures of himself wearing the Napoli shirt from his Instagram.

Osimhen’s availability may prompt competition from Real Madrid as they seek a long term replacement for Karim Benzema, while Newcastle could emerge as shock suitors for the striker. Napoli put a public £155million price tag on the player during the summer.

Another name high on Chelsea’s wishlist is Toney who is currently suspended until January due to betting offences. Toney was one of the league’s top scorers last season with 20 goals and he is a proven goalscorer in the top-flight.

His manager Thomas Frank admitted on Monday Night Football last month that his side would be open to the prospect of selling the striker but only if they were to get a huge fee for the player.

Either arrival would come as a huge boost to Chelsea’s European hopes and the Blues can also look forward to the return of Christopher Nkunku. The striker posted a picture of himself training at his home gym and he is scheduled to return in December at the earliest according to The Sun.

Nkunku could be the solution to Chelsea’s attacking issues once matchfit and he scored an impressive 16 goals in 25 appearances last season for RB Lepizig.