Chelsea’s striker transfer moves once again target unproven talent – will they be duds or dynamite?

BY PAUL LAGAN
paul@slpmedia.co.uk

But what if they are rubbish?

“Dad, we have a terrible record of buying dud strikers, at least previously they were playing for top clubs, but now we have just signed unproven kids.”

Okay, that was a hypothetical question…or was it? Because it’s still a sentiment that is growing among the Chelsea faithful.

With the clearing out of dead wood – those who don’t want to be at Stamford Bridge anymore – and the moving on for maximum profit  of players who grew up in the academy, the latest edition of the Chelsea revolution is heading towards its climax.

Soon we shall see what new head coach Mauricio Pochettino is all  about as he officially takes up the reins on Monday.

He will still have a few disheartened players to deal with as their deals edge towards the end of transfer deadline day, or fall apart completely, but his unique selling point has always been his man-management ability.

Some, like Mason Mount, might even have to report for pre-season training as his move to Manchester United drags on and on.

Since taking over from ousted Roman Abramovich, who failed to reach his 20th anniversary as owner of the club – it would have been tomorrow – Todd Boehly and his co-owners and directors of football have been busy with high-profile meetings with clubs in Saudi Arabia, less high-profile ones up in Manchester and the occasional Italian translator-assisted video calls in Italy.

The objective of all this activity is to raise as much cash from transfers as they can ahead of today’s deadline for filing accounts that will affect their so-called Financial Fair Play responsibilities.

Hakim Zyiech and Edouard Mendy should be on their way to the Middle East next week, where they will join ex-Blues N’Golo Kante and Kalidou Koulibaly.

With Mateo Kovacic now loving life at “a top club” at Manchester City,  the focus of attention is what to do with the likes of loanees Callum Hudson-Odoi and Romelu Lukaku.

Neither wants to return to SW6 and sit on the bench or start the odd EFL Cup match, both justifiably have higher aspirations than that at this stage of their careers.

Lukaku wants to stay in Milan at Inter.

He will no doubt have a word or two to Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Christian Pulisic, who are off to city rivals AC Milan.

I’m sure he will show them the sights such as the Colosseum with the witty comment that the former gladiatorial arena, now no more than a charming ruin, is what Stamford Bridge could become.

And that brings us back to asking  what happen if the new, unproven strikers are duds.

Christopher Nkunku is not a kid, at 25, and has 10 caps for France and comes via RB Leipzig.

I wonder who was the last striker Chelsea bought from them? Ah! Yes, Timo Werner – nuff said.

Dujuan ‘Whisper’ Richards is not yet 18 but has played for Jamaica. He’s scored lots of goals at youth level. He joins up when he turns 18 in October. He binned a chance to join Newcastle United for the stars of west London.

Ecuadorian Kendry Paez, who cost £17million from Independiente del Valle, is still 16 and won’t be around until 2025.

So Chelsea will start their Premier League campaign at home to Liverpool with the strikers they had last year minus Kai Havertz, who has been sold to Arsenal in a £65million deal.

Armando Broja should be fit for the  game as he has fully recovered from last season’s knee injury while on loan to relegated Southampton.

He has scored one goal in 13 appearances  for the Blues.

Chelsea scored just 76 goals last term in the league.

“Dad, what if it all goes wrong…?”