Chelsea have now entered the race to sign a striker, despite Joao Pedro impressing during the early stages of the Premier League season.
Although Pedro has missed the last two Premier League matches, which has led to Morgan Rogers and Pedro Neto leading the line in his absence, the Brazilian remains near the top of the goalscoring charts, while he has also registered three assists.
Ranking | Premier League top scorers | Club | Goals |
1. | Erling Haaland | Manchester City | 9 |
2. | Alexander Isak | Liverpool | 6 |
3. | Joao Pedro | Chelsea | 5 |
3. | Morgan Rogers | Chelsea | 5 |
3. | Nicolas Jackson | Aston Villa | 5 |
3. | Marcus Tavernier | AFC Bournemouth | 5 |
However, back-up option Danny Welbeck is yet to get a real look-in, with the former Brighton man featuring for just 99 minutes across seven Premier League matches since arriving at Stamford Bridge in the summer.
The Englishman was given the nod for the trip to Anfield in the EFL Cup, which the Blues drew 1-1, before losing 6-5 on penalties, but he was replaced by Emmanuel Emegha in the second half, after failing to get a single shot away.
Emegha has only just returned from a hamstring injury, and he received praise from Xabi Alonso prior to the trip to Liverpool, with the Spaniard saying: “For sure it’s important that we have him available because he has special qualities.
“He needs to feel fully fit. He has been training for the last two weeks, ten days, in a good way that has allowed him to build a strong base of fitness.”
However, considering Welbeck is 35-years-old, and yet to make a real impression for the Blues in the Premier League, it may be a smart move to bring in a new striker, and a Serie A star has now emerged as a target.
Chelsea enter the race to sign Gustavo Varela
According to a report from TEAMtalk, Chelsea have now entered contention to sign Monza star Gustavo Varela, and watched him in action in the Serie A side’s 2-1 defeat against Bologna last time out.
However, Varela was also under the watchful eye of a number of other Premier League clubs, namely Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United, Brighton & Hove Albion, Brentford and Fulham.
Despite Monza coming up short, the 21-year-old managed to impress on a personal level, finding the net after just six minutes, and he has already scored 11 goals in ten matches across all competitions this season.
Not only does the Portuguese youngster have a keen eye for goal, but he has also received praise for his strength from scout Ben Mattionson, who said: “Very strong physicality with some quality hold-up play. Did incredibly well to hold onto the ball when challenged by many defenders, showing close control.”
Scout Jacek Kulig has compared the Monza star to former Chelsea striker Diego Costa too, which certainly bodes well, considering the Spaniard picked up 59 goals and 21 assists in 120 matches during his time with the Blues, and lifted two Premier League titles.
Source: www.footballfancast.com
