Ageing strikers and Chelsea – name a better love story?
It’s that time of the year, the Blues are being linked to a forward past his prime, but was once one of the most clinical finishers in the world.
Last season, Maurizio Sarri went all out to sign Gonzalo Higuain, who finished with five goals in 14 league appearances.
But who is it this year? None other than one of Chelsea’s old foes; Edinson Cavani.
Paris Saint-Germain’s unsettled forward, who has netted many important goals against the Blues in the past, is being linked with a move to Stamford Bridge.
Yes, Atletico Madrid remain frontrunners to land him this month, but after Frank Lampard conceded he ‘admires’ the Uruguayan in his press conference, Blues fans on social media are already putting together their ‘Welcome to Chelsea – EL Matador’ YouTube compilations.
The thing is, Cavani is different to the Gonzalo Higuains and the Alexandre Patos of the past and could genuinely be a superb short-term acquisition for the club – here’s talkSPORT.com’s reasons why…
Lethal
Cavani has featured in just nine matches in Ligue 1 this year, netting two goals, and that is due to Mauro Icardi establishing himself as the first choice striker at the club.
The Uruguay international has not become a bad striker overnight and his 23 goals last season serves as evidence for that.
He has simply been frozen out of the XI in the French capital and is desperate for a move to become the main man again.
Given his age, people expect Cavani’s form to dip, but in his entire career he has never had a prolonged period without finding the net – and the same cannot be said for Higuain.
Since he made his debut for Palermo in 2007, only Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have scored more goals in Europe’s top five leagues
Barring this campaign, the striker has scored more than 20 goals in his last ten seasons straight – including over 40 strikes in the 2016/17 seasons and 2017/18 seasons.
There is nothing to suggest that Cavani has lost his finishing touch – and those who claim he has are simply wrong.
He just hasn’t been given the minutes to flourish this season – appearing in just 330 minutes of Ligue 1 action this term and only 558 minutes of action in all competitions.
And what’s more, now that Chelsea have a superb crosser of the ball in their ranks in Reece James, they need a marksman to start putting them away.
Mentor
Another reason why signing Cavani could be a masterstroke from Lampard is because he could be the perfect role model for Tammy Abraham.
The 22-year-old has had a superb breakthrough season in the top flight but he himself will admit he is not the finished article – who better to learn from than Cavani?
Abraham, who has netted 13 Premier League goals, actually shares very similar attributes to the 32-year-old.
They are both good in the air, hold the ball up well and like to make runs in between the lines.
If the more accomplished Cavani teaches Abraham a few tricks of the trade then the Englishman could become a world class talent for years to come.
A six-month lesson with a striker who has scored over 350 goals could be a blessing in disguise for the young marksman, though it may limit his minutes slightly for the rest of the season, especially if his injury against Arsenal is anything more than a painful knock.
Experience
The arrival of Cavani would also add some much needed maturity to Chelsea’s squad.
Lampard’s revolution at Stamford Bridge has come crashing down in recent months, having overseen his eighth league defeat as manager on at the weekend – more than any other side in the top six.
Despite the youngsters impressing this season, the Blues are crying out for an experienced player to demonstrate some leadership qualities in the side.
Chelsea’s young XI lacks a player who can take a game by the scruff of neck, or keep a cool head to weather the storm tough periods, because at the moment they are struggling to break teams down and often look devoid of ideas when trailing a match.
Eden Hazard and Cesc Fabregas, despite the latter shipped off in January, were so important under Sarri as they had learnt their ‘game management’ skills from players such as John Terry or Gary Cahill in the past.
Antonio Rudiger and Cesar Azplicueta are the only real ‘leaders’ in the squad at present – but the addition of Cavani would change that.
He would not only add a focal point in attack but the young squad would genuinely take an active interest in the way he conducts himself on and off the pitch.
