As we go into day 17 of the January transfer window, all the chatter remains about a new striker potentially arriving this month.
Yesterday started very lively and reports in Portugal claimed Chelsea had an offer rejected for Sporting striker Viktor Gyokeres.
As you might remember, we broke the exclusive news on Chelsea’s interest in Gyokeres on my website, Si Phillips Talks Chelsea, but it had been expected for weeks now that Chelsea would not be making a move this month, and he wanted to see the season out at his club.
Reports of an offer from Chelsea were soon shot down by reliable English sources, and that was that!
But the talk of a potential short-term option coming in for Chelsea this month continues to be a possibility. But who are they looking at?
There’s been speculative chatter surrounding both Roberto Firmino and Karim Benzema, and there was also mention of Aleksander Mitrovic yesterday too. Nothing solid, and really, the most realistic option there looks like Firmino.
Benzema’s wages are ridiculous, and it looks like Mitrovic wants to stay where he is.
But maybe if Benzema wants to leave Saudi so badly, that he considers a pay-cut? Or maybe Mitrovic thinks that actually, maybe a return to the Premier League might be appealing, especially if it’s Chelsea?
I asked the community on my website for their thoughts on those three names this week, and the results are pretty clear.
First and foremost though, are we even open to a short-term option arriving? In short, yes, we absolutely are.
I asked whether you would be happy for Chelsea to sign (the right profile) a short-term ST option this month only if a permanent option is not attainable?
86% said yes, 12% are not sure, and only 2% are against this idea.
I completely agree with the 86%.
Firmino though, is not such a popular choice with us here.
I asked, would you be happy if Firmino arrived on loan this month?
46% said no, 34% are not sure, and just 20% said yes.
I think I’d be in the ‘not sure’ section on this one I am afraid, firmly on the fence.
But who I am not on the fence about is Benzema and Mitrovic, I’d take both of those at Chelsea right now, and seems like the majority of you would as well.
I asked, would you be happy if Benzema arrived on loan this month?
A big 79% said yes, 14% are unsure, and only 7% said no.
I asked, would you be happy with Mitrovic arrived on loan this month?
This was almost unanimous! 92% said yes, 5% are unsure, and just 2% said no.
I’m fully with the 92% here. If there is ANY chance at all to get Mitrovic this month, you go and get him.
82% are even open to signing him on a short-term permanent deal, whereas only 49% are open to doing the same thing with Benzema.
The thing with the latter is he has astronomical wages. So if he seriously wants a move back to Europe, he will have to lower them drastically. Only in Saudi will he get such wages.
Unfortunately though Mitrovic might just stay the pipedream because Saudi are very reluctant to let players leave right now due to not wanting to give the league a bad rep, and also he is doing so well there this season that insiders don’t think he will even think about leaving.
It is interesting to see though, that most of us in this community believe it might be wise for Chelsea to get a short-term striker option in this month and then perhaps go all out for a main target in the summer.
For me, it simply MUST be the right profile that we need though, and that is an all round proven number 9 with an aerial threat, someone who can hold the ball up and link the play, and someone who can physically mix it with PL defenders and of course, knows exactly where the net is and is not a teenager!!