Backup Plan: 3 Realistic Replacements For Diego Costa At Chelsea

Time might not be Diego Costa’s best friend at Chelsea. The Spaniard has had a paltry return of goals this season and his performances have actually been a critical issue, leading to a lot of questions being asked about the way he performs and how much of a moody player he can be.

Constantly squabbling with the opposition has led him to lose focus on what his job in the team is, which is to score goals. Jose Mourinho might have gotten the best out of him last season but this season the former Atletico Madrid forward has regressed into fighter mode, which isn’t a good thing for Chelsea.

Keeping the image of the club in mind and the fact that the Spaniard looks off pace and out of touch, he could well be on his way out of the club. Guus Hiddink might not make an instant change in January but Costa could be looking at the exit in the summer and that means Chelsea would need a new striker to score the goals.

With money certainly being available in the summer to bring in some quality, here are three strikers that the Blues can bring into their team.

Antoine Griezmann

The French forward has been linked for quite a while with a move to Chelsea and the Premier League and with Chelsea in desperate need of a striker; it could well be the Atletico Madrid attacker that the Blues move for.

Griezmann isn’t just a winger; he can play as a striker or an attacking midfielder and is blessed with great pace, trickery and finishing. He would be an extremely expensive signing from Atletico Madrid but Diego Simeone could be the man who takes up the managerial post at Chelsea and he could bring the 24-year-old with him as well.

Jamie Vardy

The player who cannot seem to do anything wrong, Jamie Vardy has been a breath of fresh air and well every club is thinking about getting him. Chelsea might not be in the top half of the table but they could try to sign the English striker in the summer.

Vardy could end up as the top scorer in the league and is someone who Chelsea could well use. The pace, tenacity and never give up attitude is something that we had seen from Costa last season but Vardy comes without the excess baggage that the Spaniard brings. Chelsea might have to pay a bombshell to get the services of Vardy but that is the step required if Chelsea are to get the goals from their strikers.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

The 34-year-old Swede is out of contract at PSG at the end of the season and he is willing to make a move to the Premier League, which would be the only major league apart from the Bundesliga where he has not played.

Zlatan could be the ideal replacement for Costa, his movement; strength and finishing are almost second to none, the only problem with the Swede is that he is just as big a character as anyone in the dressing room and the new manager might not want to deal with that. Zlatan though has scored goals throughout his career and he already has broken the goal scoring record in the French League for PSG, he could be lethal if he does join Chelsea.