Chelsea’s FA Cup semi-final defeat against Manchester City over the weekend was further evidence of the club needing to sign a new centre-forward this summer.
Nicolas Jackson led the line in the 1-0 loss and missed several opportunities to score for his side.
Overall, he has done a pretty decent job this season for a 22-year-old who only arrived in the country last summer, netting 13 times in 37 appearances.
However, had he been more clinical at Wembley on Saturday and this term in general, Chelsea would be in the FA Cup final and probably the top six.
With that in mind, then, their best course of action in the summer would be to sign a top striker and use Jackson as a squad player. So who should the Blues consider?
Ollie Watkins
Any rich Premier League club looking for a new striker has to be considering Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins.
The 28-year-old has been arguably the best No.9 in the top flight this season, scoring 19 goals in 33 outings.
That is one behind Manchester City’s Erling Haaland, but Watkins has also managed to record 12 assists.
Villa will not want to sell, so he could cost a fortune, while Chelsea have to be wary of profit and sustainability rules. But the England international really should be a name on their shortlist.
Alexander Isak
Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak is another Premier League centre-forward who is having a good season.
The 24-year-old has scored 17 goals in just 24 top-flight games, with two of those actually coming against Chelsea.
Again, though, the Sweden international may be hard to prize away from his current club, especially if Chelsea fail to qualify for Europe.
Ivan Toney
Finally, there is Brentford’s Ivan Toney, who is probably the easiest out of the three to sign.
His contract expires in 2025, so Brentford know this could be their last opportunity to make a good bit of money from him.
Because of his eight-month suspension, Toney’s numbers are obviously not as good as Isak and Watkins’ this season.
However, last term, the former Peterborough United man scored 20 goals in 33 Premier League appearances. If Chelsea want to sign a centre-forward with experience in the division, he is certainly another name to consider.
Outside of England, there is also Napoli’s Victor Osimhen to put on the list.
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