The strikers Mauricio Pochettino should sign for Chelsea
By Tom Gott
You don't need to be Mauricio Pochettino to recognise just how much Chelsea need a new striker.
The Blues have been 'bolstering' in attack for the last five years and yet still boast some of the worst goalscoring numbers in the Premier League. With Pochettino now installed in the dugout, it's the Argentine's turn to try and figure out a solution.
Here are some strikers he could turn to.
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1. Victor Osimhen
As one of Europe's top marksmen this season, Napoli hotshot Victor Osimhen is an obvious candidate here.
Citing Didier Drogba as his idol, 24-year-old Osimhen has been outrageous this year, leading Serie A's scoring charts and helping turn the Partenopei into one of the continent's leading sides.
The main issue here is Osimhen's price tag. Napoli agreed to pay up to €80m when they signed him from Lille in 2020 and the belief is he could cost twice as much as that this time around. Yikes.
2. Ivan Toney
If you want a striker with Premier League experience, Ivan Toney appears the most feasible option. Well, that was until his eight-month ban for gambling offences.
With his season now over, Toney ends the campaign with 20 league goals for Brentford. The last time Chelsea had a player reach that number? Diego Costa, six years ago.
The ban obviously complicates things. Toney is not permitted to return to action until late January, 2024. That sounds like a discount.
3. Harry Kane
The cream of the crop when it comes to attainable Premier League strikers, Tottenham's Harry Kane may jump at the chance to reunite with the man who set him off on the journey to superstardom.
Pochettino knows how Kane works and the pair's relationship remains strong. With his situation at Spurs growing more and more uncomfortable, the chance to jump ship may be too strong.
Would Spurs ever sell to Chelsea? There's your real dilemma.
4. Lautaro Martinez
If Chelsea fans are being honest, Lautaro Martinez wasn't really on the general wish list before fellow Argentine Pochettino took charge.
Regardless of how we've found ourselves here, the reality is that Martinez is having a sensational campaign - perhaps the best of his career - and is somehow still flying under the radar.
The Inter man isn't the physical, bruising forward that most fans are looking for, but if you want somebody who can put the ball in the back of the net, maybe he's your guy.
5. Romelu Lukaku
Why sign a new £97.5m striker when you've already got a £97.5m striker at home?
Nothing else needs to be said about the collapse in relationship between Chelsea fans and Romelu Lukaku, but now we're in a new era, it could be time to leave the past in the past, drop the Italian microphones and get back to playing football.
If you can get Lukaku ticking, he's one of a select few strikers who can genuinely claim to be among the world's elite. If Pochettino is up for the battle, this is by far the easiest solution.