Didier Drogba will always be seen as a hero at Chelsea football club, scoring 147 times in his 344 appearances for the Blues during a combined 11-year stint in West London.
He joined the club in the summer of 2004 from Ligue 1 side Marseille, rapidly making himself a hit with the supporters before departing Stamford Bridge in 2015 as arguably one of the best forwards to ever grace the Premier League.
Undoubtedly, his most memorable moment for the club came in the 2012 Champions League, where he scored the crucial equaliser, before scoring the winning penalty in the shootout – cementing himself in the club’s history forever.
Nine years on from his departure from West London, new boss Enzo Maresca has been adamant about signing a new centre-forward who can make such an impact in 2024, but has yet to strike a deal for a new frontman.
Strikers in the current market cost a premium with Todd Boehly potentially needing to invest heavily once more to secure a deal for one star who’s been constantly linked with a move to Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea could land £86m goal machine this summer
Chelsea’s attempts to secure a new frontman has taken them far and wide, but with the club no closer to a new addition, they could revisit a former target to fill the void at the top end of the pitch.
Sporting Lisbon striker Viktor Gyokeres has been constantly touted with a move to the Premier League this summer, with Chelsea and Arsenal just two of the sides in contention to sign the Sweden international.
However, any deal would cost an interested party around £86m, with the former Coventry City ace having a release clause in his current contract with the Portuguese outfit.
Whilst it may be an expensive fee to splash on a new transfer, he would be a brilliant addition, whilst allowing the club to forget about another talent who’s been on their radar during the summer transfer window.
Why Gyokeres would be better than Osimhen for Chelsea
All summer long, Chelsea have been linked with a move to sign Napoli forward Victor Osimhen after the Nigerian expressed his desire to leave the Serie A outfit this summer.
A cash-plus swap deal for current Blues man Romelu Lukaku has previously been suggested, but no movement is yet to be confirmed on either transfer.
With less than two weeks left in the current window, the Blues will need to act quickly if they are to secure a deal for a new striker, with Gyokeres a much better option for Maresca’s side.
The “unplayable” Swede, as described by former Coventry man Max Biamou, registered double the amount of combined goals and assists compared to Osimhen, whilst averaging a better goal per shot-on-target rate, potentially handing Chelsea that added cutting edge in the final third.
Games played
33
25
Goals + assists
39
18
Shot-on-target accuracy
49%
42%
Goals per shot-on-target
0.45
0.33
Shot-creating actions
4.1
2.5
Aerials won
49%
44%
Pass accuracy
72%
67%
He also created more shot-creating actions, whilst winning more aerial duels last season, proving that he can provide that target man and focal point the Blues have desperately been lacking in recent years.
Gyokeres also managed a higher pass accuracy rate, making him an excellent fit for Maresca’s possession-based system, allowing him to link up with attackers around him, scoring goals whilst also providing opportunities for his teammates.
Whilst he would require another huge sum of money spent by Boehly, any deal for Gyokeres would see the club recruit an elite-level talent who can take them back to the Champions League.
Goalscorers are the hardest players to find in the modern game, with the 26-year-old able to find the back of the net at will, and he could be their best one since Drogba if he can carry his form over to the Premier League.