Chelsea have come out of the woodwork for a striker signing in the dying embers of the January transfer window.
It’s no secret that Chelsea are lacking a consistent 20-goal-a-season striker right now, having seen the inconsistencies of both Joao Pedro and Liam Delap.
Pedro is more of the false nine type who looks to get in behind and create things, whereas strikers of the past like Diego Costa and Didier Drogba were much more out-and-out number nines.
Delap fits the mould more, but he just hasn’t been able to repeat the kind of performances we saw at Ipswich Town last season. It could be the age-old case where a player shines at a lower club but struggles on the big stage, with all the added pressure that comes with it.
Premier League clubs even feel like Delap should have joined Manchester United instead.
A striker wasn’t meant to be on the radar this month, but it seems as if they’re keeping a watchful eye.
What have you made of Liam Delap in a Chelsea shirt?🤔
Liam Delap's Chelsea stats vs Pafos
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Chelsea are ones to watch in race for Mohamed Kader Meite
Chelsea have been tracking the progress of Mohamed Kader Meite, who is an 18-year-old striker at the same French club as Jeremy Jacquet, Rennes.
However, everything looked as if Manchester United would be his next destination, with reports (Give Me Sport) of talks between the Red Devils and Rennes over a deal.
And now Ben Jacobs (TalkSPORT) has claimed that both Liverpool and Chelsea are the ‘ones to watch’.
“Yeah I think with Kader Meite, Liverpool and Chelsea are the ones to watch from the Premier League.”
DISCUSS: Enzo Fernandez and Vinicius Jr swap deal
Enzo Fernandez and Vinicius Jr goals graphic
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Is Kader Meite really required at Chelsea?
Mohamed Kader Meite’s physical profile and huge potential make him an ideal long-term investment for a squad looking to sign the best young talents. However, Chelsea already has young attacking options like Joao Pedro and Liam Delap, unless he were to head back out on loan.
With his value at around £26 million, it’s a deal that could be worth doing given the potential resale value and the asking price of his Rennes teammate, Jeremy Jacquet.
After all, he is averaging a goal contribution every 106 minutes in France this season.
But negotiations with Rennes aren’t easy, so it could be a repeat of the Jeremy Jacquet situation.
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