Chelsea starts again. Last summer, heThe ‘blues’ rounded off the 2021 Champions League champion team with the signing of Romelu Lukaku for 113 million euros. However, his return to Bridge (they bought him in 2011 for 15 from Anderlecht) did not work out. “It’s a matter of pride. I never give up and I don’t think he does either. He’s a great competitor. He just needs to get that spark point back,” the German coach confessed. However, a year after arriving from Inter, the Belgian striker, the piece that the Premier team was theoretically missing to be unbeatable, will return to Giuseppe Meazza swept away by the ‘curse’ of the Londoners’ ‘9’.
Top strikers signed by Chelsea since 2010
- Lukaku (2021-22): 113 million euros
- Morata (2017-18): 66 million euros
- Fernando Torres (2010-11): 58.5 million euros
- Werner (2020-21): 53 million euros
- Batshuayi (2016-17): 39 million euros
- Diego Costa (2014-15): 38 million euros
- Giroud (2017-18): 17 million euros
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‘Big Rom’ return to Milan on loan for eight million euros as was his wish since Christmas. “From the bottom of my heart I want to return to Inter. I don’t want to do it at the end of my career, but when I’m still at the highest level”, confess in ‘Sky Sports’. A few words that caused an earthquake in Chelsea and that made Thomas Tuchel would push him away until he apologized. A ‘tsunami’ that ‘eclipsed’ him playing 13 Premier games (eight starts) since then and scoring only three goals.
Relegated to the bench in the Champions League (42 minutes between the round of 16 (Lille) and the quarterfinals (Real Madrid), he only shone in the Club World Cup (two goals in two duels) and in the FA Cup (three in six) in 2022. TT he preferred Havertz as false ‘9’ and also used Werner. A situation that has prompted the most expensive signing in blue history to seek an exit on loan… and Chelsea to find another striker.
The ‘blues’ return to the starting box. A tradition at Bridge for years. And it is that since 2010, Chelsea has spent 440.25 ‘kilos’ on signings that have not been perpetuated at the top… except for Didier Drogba (2004-12). Timo Werner (53 million in 2020-21) never scored the goals that fell to him at RB Leipzig (95 in 159) and was thrown to a band. His ceiling at Bridge is 12 goals in his first campaign.
Morata, Giroud, Diego Costa…
Chelsea have spent millions on strikers of all kinds. Morata landed in 2017-18 from Real Madrid for 66 ‘kilos’ and barely played a season and a half (24 goals in 74 games) before leaving on loan to Atltico de Madrid. Olivier Giroud arrived in the same campaign in January for 17 million and had a revulsive role (39 goals in 119) until he left in 2021 for Milan.
–The one who best ‘performed’ was Diego Costa. He landed in 2014-15 for 38 ‘kilos’ and signed 20 goals in that Premier that Mourinho’s ‘blues’ conquered. Then, his problems with Conte brought him back to Atltico stopping his blue goal counter at 59 in 120 games.
Higuan, Falcao, Pato, Eto’o …
The ‘blues’ have tried all kinds of strikers. They landed at the Bridge cas Higuan (2018-19), Falcao (2015-16) and Pato (2015-16) on loan with a residual role: scored five and one goal respectively. Eto’o also came to Chelsea on a free transfer in 2013-14 and scored 12 goals in 35 games that season. Nor was the ‘remake’ of Drogba bad, the fourth highest historical scorer for the ‘blues’ with 164 goals, who signed seven in 40 on his return in 2014-15.
–Batshuayi (39 ‘kilos’ in 2016-17), Remy (13.2 in 2014-15), Ba (8.5 in 2012-13)… They are other strikers who have joined the avant-garde of a Chelsea team that signed Fernando Torres in January 2011, taking him from Liverpool for 58.5 million. His 45 goals in 172 games were key to winning the 2012 Champions League. A good ‘business’. Who will be the next ‘9’?
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