There’s no denying that Chelsea employed a scattergun spending approach in the early days of BlueCo’s ownership, but that has since been streamlined over the past few years, with Enzo Maresca proving the perfect man for the job.
Sunday’s Premier League clash is a big one, with Stamford Bridge playing host to a top-of-the-table clash between Chelsea and Arsenal. The second-place Blues will narrow the deficit to just three points with a win.
This is a team building toward a period of sustained success, and the tactical readings suggest that Chelsea are already one of the most exciting attacking outfits in the division, even if there is a sense that there are several levels still to be scaled.
Chelsea
2nd
22.1
Man City
3rd
21.8
Arsenal
1st
20.7
Crystal Palace
5th
20.2
Man Utd
10th
19.9
However, a question mark lingers over number nine, with Liam Delap yet to prove he is the answer. Could Chelsea be looking to sign an upgrade?
Why Chelsea are searching for a striker
In fairness, Delap has spent a sizeable portion of his first months in west London in the infirmary. Still, since returning from a hamstring injury that has kept him out for much of the autumn, the English striker has started twice in the Premier League and failed to break his duck on both counts.
That said, he did net his first goal of the campaign for the Blues against Barcelona in midweek, coming off the bench and coolly converting to seal the 3-0 win after neat interplay between Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez.
However, the £30m summer signing from Ipswich Town has yet to prove he has what it takes to nail down a berth at the front of Maresca’s system, and co-sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart are searching for a potential upgrade.
They may have found one. According to Sky Germany, Chelsea are among the outfits to have been informed that Borussia Dortmund striker Serhou Guirassy is worth about €50m (£44m), applicable for a number of top European outfits.
Chelsea are in the mix, and though Delap and Joao Pedro make up a dynamic central strike force in west London, Guirassy’s clinical record suggests he could add an interesting dimension to a title-challenging side.
What Guirassy would bring to Chelsea
Guirassy, 29, might not fit the age profile Chelsea have focused on targeting in recent years, but his experience and maturity in the final third would serve as a neat counterpoint to the younger generation.
Delap caught the eye for Ipswich last season, a shining light as he scored 12 goals across 37 Premier League outings. Kieran McKenna’s side were relegated, but so many teams swarmed for Delap’s signature, and Chelsea won the race.
The 22-year-old has a future at Stamford Bridge, but Maresca’s side need someone in the now who can maintain a fight against Arsenal, while pushing deep into the Champions League too.
Guirassy is “one of the best strikers in Europe”, according to German legend Lothar Matthaus, and he ranks among the top 11% of strikers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for goals scored per 90, as per FBref.
25/26
10
5 + 1
24/25
30
21 + 2
23/24
28
28 + 2
22/23
22
11 + 0
He’s hardly just a mindless poacher, with silky footwork and intelligent positioning that allows him to roam around the attacking half and link up with teammates.
But, at his core, Guirassy is indeed a goalscorer, and Chelsea may find that Delap earns fewer minutes with the Guinean striker in the mix.
It’s a tough one, but given the promising position Maresca’s side have placed themselves into, it might just be the move to make.
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