Most Chelsea fans would like to see the club sign another striker this summer. Joao Pedro has to remain part of the first-team picture. But the Brazilian international must have some genuine competition for the spot as well. When he is out of form, it does not look like the Blues have many others capable of scoring consistently. Enzo Fernandez is another but it is starting to look like he will be on his way out this summer. That will further weaken them going forward.
Liam Delap has not been good enough, scoring just one Premier League goal in the entire campaign. Marc Guiu has remained on the fringes of the squad for the most part. And while Nicolas Jackson is set to make a return following a brilliant run of form at Bayern Munich, there is not enough conviction that he will stay.
It might not be a bad idea to go with a duo of Pedro and Jackson next season. But it remains to be seen if the latter, or even if the former, ends up staying.
On the other hand, according to an exclusive report from Secret & Source, Chelsea have made initial contact with Bournemouth over the potential signing of Eli Junior Kroupi. The Blues have made a verbal enquiry regarding the French forward.
Chelsea make enquiry about £80 million-rated French striker
The report further goes on to add that nothing has advanced to formal negotiations and no bid has been lodged. Bournemouth would like around £80 million to part ways with the 19-year-old French striker.
Kroupi has enjoyed a record-breaking season since joining Bournemouth. He has scored 13 goals in the Premier League, the best for a teenager in his debut campaign.
Somehow, he has been scoring goals for a lot longer and last season was not a fluke. He scored 28 goals in 64 appearances for Lorient back in France. So, his record at 19 years of age is immense. And it is very easy to see why Chelsea might be interested.
Kroupi is not who is needed at Stamford Bridge right now
Kroupi is exactly the kind of player Chelsea have been trying to sign in the four years under BlueCo ownership. The problem is, he is not what they need right now.
Chelsea will need someone proven to fix their issues right now. Someone like Julian Alvarez, Victor Osimhen or a striker of a similar level.
Kroupi is a great talent, but the Blues are not in a position where they can go out and spend £80 million on potential. Not any longer. That is what they did in the early days of BlueCo and look where it has got them.
So, while there might be interest from Chelsea in Kroupi, I simply cannot see it happening. All the talk going into the summer has been about the club targeting proven and experienced players. And that is what they need to stick to. Otherwise, it won’t take long for all the goodwill brought about by Xabi Alonso’s appointment to evaporate.
Sourav Mahanty
Sourav Mahanty has covered teams like Chelsea, Celtic, Real Madrid, Manchester United, PSG and more over a career that has now lasted a decade. His work has been featured on Sports Illustrated, Athlon Sports, SB Nation, FanSided, The Sportster and aggregated through Bleacher Report and NewsNow. Outside of football, he is also interested in basketball, cricket and professional wrestling.
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