Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca should look to sign a Premier League-proven striker such as Alexander Isak or Ivan Toney over Victor Osimhen or Viktor Gyokeres, according to former defender Glen Johnson.
The Blues failed in their efforts to lure Toney and Osimhen away from Brentford and Napoli respectively during the last summer transfer window, where a manic deadline-day saga saw the former join Al-Ahli after Osimhen's move to Saudi Arabia fell through.
As a result, Maresca went into the 2024-25 season with Nicolas Jackson and the teenage Marc Guiu as his only two out-and-out number nines, although they are the joint third-highest scorers in the league with 44 goals, only inferior to Tottenham Hotspur's 45 and Liverpool's 50.
Hotshot Cole Palmer (14 goals, six assists) and the improving Jackson (nine goals, four assists) have made their mark this season, but the latter is now without a goal in six Premier League games, and Johnson still believes that the Blues could do with reinforcements up top.
"Cole Palmer's changing things, Nicolas Jackson's turned up, which he did on and off previously, but now he's doing it more consistent, which is what they need," the former Blues right-back told Sports Mole.
"Whenever the striker is playing well and scoring goals, you forget that they still need a striker, but I think they could do with someone. Clearly not as desperate as they did a couple of years ago - even just someone to keep Nicolas Jackson on his toes and performing.
Johnson: 'Chelsea need two PL-proven strikers'
"I think they still need to get a number nine, because I don't think someone can turn it around so quick and then do it for the next five years. But in fairness to the players, they signed a lot of people at the same time.
"Nicolas didn't know the league, so it's going to take some time to realise how little space you actually get as a striker in the Premier League. Hopefully, he's now learned from all that and he can kick on and be their main man. But for a team like Chelsea, if you are going to try and compete, you probably need two of those type of players."
After the transfer window in England and across most of Europe shut, Osimhen was left with little choice but to go to Turkey or spend at least half of the season on the bench under Antonio Conte, who froze the Nigerian out of the ranks after signing Romelu Lukaku from Chelsea.
As a result, Osimhen made the temporary move to Galatasaray in one of the surprise transfers of the summer, and the 26-year-old has excelled this term with 21 goal contributions in just 19 appearances, 15 of his own and six assists.
Osimhen is expected to be on the move permanently this summer, and Chelsea will no doubt be tipped to enter the running, but the Blues are also reported to have taken a liking to Newcastle marksman Isak and Aston Villa's Jhon Duran.
'Premier League striker a safer bet than Osimhen'
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Chelsea have supposedly been told that it will take a mammoth nine-figure sum to land Isak, though, while Duran has already been the subject of a rejected £57m offer from West Ham United after he was being courted by Maresca's side over the summer.
However, Johnson believes that Chelsea should put more effort into signing a player with Premier League experience over Osimhen, who would not be as safe a bet in his eyes.
"Anyone that's scoring goals in other leagues, that's great and that's a credit to them. But if you've got someone that's already doing it in the Premier League, that has to be a box ticked," Johnson added.
"There's certain players like Osimhen, that they look like they have absolutely every attribute to do well in the Premier League, but we've seen that before and then sometimes it doesn't happen. When someone is doing it in the Premier League, if they're available, that is a safer bet than somebody that isn't."
Chelsea are yet to make a new signing during the January transfer window, but the Blues are reported to be pushing for the signing of Manchester United attacker Alejandro Garnacho and are on the verge of banking £4.2m by sending a 21-year-old out on loan.
Glen Johnson was speaking to Sports Mole on behalf of BetVictor Casino.
Ben Knapton
