If there’s one thing Mauricio Pochettino’s Chelsea are concerned about this season, it’s their form in front of goal.
The Blues are eighth in the Premier League this season with 47 goals, but have missed 51 of the 82 big chances they have created.
Pochettino has experimented with a variety of players this season, including summer signings Nicholas Jackson and Cole Palmer.
Jackson is still finding his place in the Premier League, but Palmer is better suited for a deeper role or on the right flank.
Chelsea fans will be somewhat disappointed that they are still struggling in front of goal, having spent hundreds of millions of pounds since new owner Todd Boley took over in 2022.
Pochettino’s side are reportedly keen to sign a new number nine this summer, with two favorites on the list.
Napoli striker Victor Osimhen has been regularly linked with the club throughout the season and is one of Chelsea’s options, but importantly,
it has already been confirmed that the Nigeria international will leave the club this summer.
But recently, a new name has appeared. Sports striker Victor Jokeres. According to Italian journalist Marco Farigi,
Chelsea are among the English clubs that could compete with Milan to sign Joe Keles next summer, along with Arsenal.
The Premier League pair are said to be at the front of the queue. According to reports, the Swede’s transfer fee will be just £43 million, far cheaper than the touted £100 million plus Osimhen.
In the 2022/23 season, Osimhen became one of the most prolific strikers in the world, scoring 31 goals in 39 games in all competitions during
Napoli’s historic Scudetto-winning season. Incredibly, Gioqueres has already made more appearances than Napoli’s striker from last season.
His Sporting talisman currently has him with 36 goals and double-digit assists in 39 games. According to statistics, Gioqueres is one of the most prolific strikers in Europe this season.
The Sweden international, described by soccer analyst Ben Mattinson in X as a “powerhouse”, is a very physical striker and uses that to his advantage.
Jokeres’ ability to keep possession is outstanding, using his 6’1” height to dominate opponents, dropping deep to hold onto
the ball and then throwing forward passes into the path of teammates who are making plays. did it.
What stands out in this regard is his 14 assists in the 2023/24 season, compared to Osimhen’s only 4.
In fact, in comparison, Osimhen tends to stay more forward, doing most of his work in and around the box.
This is partly due to its relationship with Hvitya Kvaratskheria. The tricky Georgian winger linked up well with Osimhen last season, preferring to put crosses into the box for the 25-year-old’s attack.
One thing about both strikers is that their penalty-taking instincts are second to none. Both players can find
opportunities out of nowhere, connect rebounds and cross with ease, the hallmark of a top striker.
There are also many touches inside the opponent’s penalty area. Jokeres’ average strike rate per 90 minutes is 8.82,
which puts him in the top 1% of strikers in Europe. In contrast, Osimhen averages 7.30 points per 90 minutes,
which puts him in the top 5%. If Chelsea are looking for a pure striker in the box, they can’t go wrong with either option.
However, if you need a more complete centre-forward who can both create and score, Gokeres may be a better option.
Although both players are 25 years old, Gökeres may be priced at £100m cheaper than Osimhen.
This will probably depend on Pochettino’s preference as to which striker he will try to sign this summer.
