Struggling French striker is the last winter recruit Chelsea need
Published:
Of all the over-reactions to Chelsea’s sputtering start to their Premier League season, the suggestion that they will launch a January bid for Lyon striker Alexandre Lacazette is the most farcical.
The Daily Express suggest the move is on the cards during the winter transfer window for two reasons: Chelsea’s poor start and Jose Mourinho’s displeasure with the club’s business in the summer.
Although the Portuguese did call the lack of major arrivals “dangerous”, that was back in early August and the club responded by signing Pedro and Baba Rahman, along with squad-plumpers Kenedy, Papy Djilobodji and Michael Hector.
Two consecutive wins to nil, over Maccabi Tel Aviv and Arsenal, prove that any temptation to push the panic button in January was misplaced and even if the Special One were to dip his toe into the market, it’s unlikely that a new frontman would be high on his Christmas list.
The three strikers on the Blues’ books are all well-equipped to influence the club’s 7/1-rated title pursuit and, that aside, Lacazette is not playing well enough to warrant a leap to a bigger club.
Diego Costa is not going to be usurped as Mourinho’s first-choice striker by anyone other than perhaps Robert Lewandowski, while Radamel Falcao and Loic Remy would both lead the lines for the majority of other top-flight teams.
After notching 27 Ligue 1 goals to lead the division’s scoring charts last season, Lacazette has suffered a harsh reality check during 2015/16, waiting until the sixth-round of matches to open his account.
A number of missed opportunities, including a skied penalty, in the Champions League defeat to Gent also did little to help the 24-year-old’s confidence and any rise in stock the striker had from last term is quickly plummeting.
Arsenal and Liverpool were thought to be hot on the tail of the Frenchman over the summer, but unless he rediscovers his form it’s hard to see any of the Premier League’s elite taking a punt on him, let alone Chelsea in January.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
Fancy a flutter? Sign up today to claim up to £50 in free bets.
