Why Chukwueze would be a brilliant addition to Chelsea’s attack
According to The Telegraph, Chelsea have set their eyes on Villareal forward Samu Chukwueze ahead of the January transfer window.
Free to buy players finally after their transfer ban was overturned by Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland recently, Blues manager Frank Lampard now has a list of names he wants to induct into his squad in order to strengthen their attack.
Nigerian winger Chukwueze is one amongst them and is a player Chelsea scouts are understood to admire, according to the report.
That said, Chukwueze’s signing could probably give them the cutting edge they currently seem to be lacking.
Hence, Chelsea’s interest in the young attacker does not come as a surprise. Also, having failed to find the target in their home matches against West Ham and Bournemouth recently, Lampard’s decision to go for the young winger seems to be a wise move.
Meanwhile, the 20-year-old Chukwueze has established himself as a regular in the Villareal side, having played 16 of their 17 league matches this season.
The youngster has found the target 3 times and provided 2 assists so far in La Liga. After making his debut in September last year, Chukwueze has grown into a key player for the Yellow Submarine in just over a year’s time.
The Nigeria Football Federation’s 2018 Young Player of the Year awardee, Chukwueze, broke into the scene last year, scoring a total of 8 goals from all competitions for Villareal.
To date, he has 11 goals and 5 assists from over 50 appearances for the Spanish outfit. Blessed with blistering pace, eye for goal and ability to dribble past defenders, Chukwueze has drawn comparisons to former Dutch and Chelsea star Arjen Robben, according to The Metro.
The Nigerian’s meteoric rise in just over a year has made him one of the sought-after prospects in Europe at the moment. His role as a starter in the Villareal unit adds more claim to his immense potential.
Moreover, Chukwueze’s inclusion would make them a force to reckon with in the future, as they are currently short of young wingers in their ranks besides Christian Pulisic and Callum Hudson-Odoi.
Though Lampard has preferred to stay with the 31-year-old Brazilian winger Willian across the right flank this season, he is in his seventh season at Stamford Bridge.
Seasoned campaigner Pedro, meanwhile, has fallen down the pecking order under Lampard and has been receiving interest from abroad, according to The Telegraph.
Also, with Chelsea facing a minor blip in form in recent weeks and many important fixtures coming up, bringing in a new young face like Chukwueze could usher in some renewed vigour into a squad which seems to lack it momentarily.
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Verdict
With the transfer ban lifted, Chelsea now finally have an opportunity to sign a new player with an eye on the future, and who better than the young Chukwueze.
Having proved his credentials already at such a young age, it would not take the Nigerian much time to adjust to the new surroundings if a deal works out.
Moreover, with Lampard preferring his side’s youngsters more, Chukwueze need not worry about his game time as it is evident from the likes of Tammy Abraham, Mason Mount, and Fikayo Tomori featuring regularly for the Blues.