Why Chelsea may already have their Osimhen alternative

Suraj Radia

• 11 Jan 2024 21:53 GMT
• 3 min read

Chelsea’s troubles up front have been well-documented, with the Blues looking to make a big money move for a striker such as Victor Osimhen in the summer, but they may be forced to look within for reinforcements until then.

Only one side in the Premier League have a bigger negative difference between their xG and goals scored this season, with Chelsea underperforming their numbers by an astonishing 7.96.

If they performed to their expected numbers, Chelsea would be the fourth-highest scorers in the league with 42 goals, however they instead of scored just 34 times in their 20 games, while Nicolas Jackson’s underperformance of 4.18xG is the worst of any player.

Although Jackson’s record of seven goals in 16 starts is somewhat impressive for a 22-year-old in his debut season in English football, the Senegalese international has proven unreliable with his finishing and discipline, while he will also be away at AFCON for the coming weeks.

Armando Broja has also failed to impressive, scoring just once this season, while Christopher Nkunku will perhaps be more focused on simply being fit enough to contribute at all instead of being touted as Chelsea’s saviour.

With Chelsea at the limit of their spending capabilities thanks to their staggering €1 billion outlay in the past three transfer windows, the recall of David Datro Fofana from his loan could prove to be more than just a footnote in the club’s turbulent season.

Could Fofana have a chance to impress at Chelsea?

Fofana joined Chelsea 12 months ago from Molde having scored 15 goals in 24 games for the Norweigen side, however he played just 70 minutes of football in the second half of the campaign.

Chelsea were hoping the 21-year-old would prove himself on loan at Union Berlin this season but he managed just one Bundesliga goal in 12 appearances for the underperforming side, leading to his loan being terminated this week.

While Fofana has been in talks to head to Sevilla for the rest of the season, Ian Maatsen’s move to Dortmund could leave Chelsea having exceeded their quota of foreign loans, meaning the Ivorian could remain at Stamford Bridge as a squad player.

Burnley have also been linked with Fofana and it could be a perfect way for the youngster to gain first team experience in England while also solving the foreign loan conundrum.

However, considering Chelsea’s impotence up front this year combined with their injury issues and the necessity to develop their surplus of young talent, Fofana could still find himself with an opportunity to contribute for Mauricio Pochettino’s side, even if just as a squad player.

Ultimately Chelsea, who also have €16m summer signing Deivid Washington desperate for minutes up front, will need to manage their youngsters and give them a chance to succeed if they have any desire to make Boehly’s transfer plan appear rational instead of more money down the drain on an imbalanced squad.