Chelsea will target the signing of a ‘proven striker in January’ as the club look to address their disappointing start to the season.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side have won just one of their opening six Premier League games ahead of Monday night’s west London derby with Fulham, scoring just five goals across those fixtures.
Nicolas Jackson has had a challenging start to his career at Chelsea since signing from Villarreal and the Blues are set to re-enter the market to find experienced support for the 22-year-old.
The Guardian are reporting that the Chelsea board retain faith in Pochettino with the underlying data pointing towards a side moving in the right direction under the new manager. However, goals remain problematic and funds will be made available to sign a ‘proven striker’ in the winter, with Brentford’s Ivan Toney and Napoli’s Victor Osimhen targets.
Chelsea, alongside Arsenal, having asked to be kept informed on the conditions of a deal to sign Toney, who has scored 32 league goals in 66 appearances since Brentford’s promotion to the Premier League.
The 27-year-old is currently serving a suspension for breaching the FA’s gambling rules but will be free to return in January. He has resumed training with Brentford as he regains fitness.
Osimhen would represent a more expensive option with Napoli expected to demand a British record fee for the Nigeria international.
The 24-year-old scored 26 league goals as Napoli won a first Serie A title in 33 years last season. However, he has been linked with an exit after a fallout with the club over a social media post which mocked the forward’s missed penalty against Bologna.
