Chelsea have spent a cumulative total of over £1b since Todd Boehly took over in 2022 and with the January transfer window due to open next week, the spending appears to show no signs of slowing down.
Mauricio Pochettino is attempting to build a side which could challenge for major honours in the future and with the likes of Cole Palmer, Christopher Nkunku and Enzo Fernández leading the charge, the Blues could be a team to beat in a season or two.
It hasn’t really clicked this season as yet, as the Stamford Bridge outfit have been fairly inconsistent.
Having amassed plenty of talent in their defence and midfield areas, Pochettino will surely be eyeing up a striker in the January window, especially as Nicolas Jackson has been called up for the Senegal squad for the Africa Cup of Nations next month.
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While several names have been linked, could the Argentinian manager perhaps reignite a move for a fellow compatriot next month as he aims to bolster his attacking options?
Chelsea transfer news – Lautaro Martinez
During the summer transfer window, Chelsea were linked with a move for Inter Milan striker, Lautaro Martinez, according to the Times (via Football365) and they faced stiff competition from Real Madrid.
Football Insider also claimed in the summer that the World Cup winner was keen on working with Pochettino at Chelsea and everything looked set for the club to make a move for the striker.
According to 90min, their transfer wish list includes players such as Matty Cash, Benjamin Sesko and Martinez and, with Inter clearly needing funds to avoid bankruptcy, a deal could very well be struck in the next few weeks.
The former Racing Club hitman has a contract at the Serie A side until 2026 and this will mean Boehly may have to shell out yet more millions on a player, especially as he is currently valued at €79.5m (£69m), according to Football Transfers.
This time, however, it is certainly warranted, as the Blues face heading into January with just Armando Broja as their only senior centre-forward, underlining the importance of bringing another attacking player to London.
It won't be the first time the Blues have done a deal with a Milan side for a striker who is in form, as they signed Andriy Shevchenko from AC Milan in the summer of 2006.
Andriy Shevchenko’s Chelsea statistics
The Ukrainian striker was among one of the deadliest forwards in Europe between 1998 and 2006 as he shone for Dynamo Kyiv and Milan.
A hat-trick against Barcelona at Camp Nou during the 1997/98 Champions League Clash for Kyiv ensured plenty of clubs stood up and took notice of the youngster, and it was Milan who secured his signature in 1999.
Fast-forward seven years and Shevchenko left the club having scored 175 goals in just 322 matches along with becoming the first Ukrainian player to win the Champions League title in 2003, and he joined the Blues ahead of the 2006/07 season.
Despite his stature in the European game, his spell in England didn’t exactly go to plan. The striker managed to score only 14 goals during his debut season as the Blues won the FA Cup and League Cup.
This tally diminished to just eight goals the following season before he eventually left the club in 2009 to rejoin Kyiv for the final years of his career.
322
175
249
124
77
22
118
48
There was no doubting just how impressive he was at his peak and if the club do land Martinez, they could be getting Shevchenko 2.0, although the supporters will be hoping the Argentinian player hits the ground running.
Lautaro Martinez’s season in numbers
Aside from a difficult maiden season which saw him net just six league goals during 2018/19, the 26-year-old has never dipped below 14 goals during a Serie A season since, and it has allowed Inter to return to the top of Italian football.
During the 2020/21 campaign, Martinez scored 17 goals and grabbed ten assists as the Nerazzurri won their first league crown since 2010 and the striker has continued his lethal nature in front of goal in the years following this triumph.
Hailed as “extremely dangerous” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, the Argentinian has been in sublime form throughout 2023/24.
Not only has he scored 17 goals in just 23 matches in all competitions, but he has chipped in with four assists and these sorts of statistics would make him a big hit at Stamford Bridge.
Jackson, on the other hand, has scored only eight times since his summer move from Villarreal and is struggling to adapt to English football.
Martinez could be a rival for his status as the main striker at Chelsea and, considering how impressive he has been in Italy this term, it wouldn’t take him long to assert his dominance.
Not only is the striker leading the way when it comes to overall Sofascore rating (7.66) in the league, but he also ranks first for goals and assists (17), shots on target per game (1.4) and scoring frequency (a goal every 90 minutes) in what has truly been a devastating campaign thus far.
He also stands out when compared to his positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues, ranking in the top 2% for non-penalty goals per 90 (0.78), the top 4% for total shots per 90 (4.16) and the top 11% for shot-creating actions per 90 (3.28), clearly indicating just how good he has been when compared to fellow strikers across the continent.
Claudio Echeverri
19th December
Santiago Gimenez
18th December
Dusan Vlahovic
15th December
Victor Osimhen
15th December
Viktor Gyokeres
12th December
This all adds up to a player who is evidently heading into his peak years as a footballer and a move for him makes perfect sense.
While he could break the bank, Boehly has the money to spend and if Pochettino manages to move on some deadwood, it could further boost the chances of a potential swoop next month.
If there is one area in which the Blues need to strengthen, it is in their attacking department and Martinez could become a serious rival for Jackson's crown as the main number nine at the Premier League club.
