According to a recent report by the Metro, Premier League giants Chelsea are touted to still be ‘in the race’ for the signature of Inter Milan striker Mauro Icardi. The forward is currently spending a loan spell away from the San Siro with Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain. The Serie A side are believed to be willing to offload Icardi in the summer but are said to be adamant on their whopping £62.7m asking price for the Argentine attacker. Chelsea manager Frank Lampard is claimed to be keen on expanding his side’s attacking portfolio for next season.
While the report suggests that Chelsea remain in the race for Mauro Icardi, that is down to PSG’s initial bid for the striker being rejected by the San Siro outfit. The Parisians are said to have placed an official bid in the region of £44.7m for the striker, with another £8.9m proposed as performance-based bonuses in instalments. But given that the forward is contracted to the Serie A club until the end of the 2022 league campaign, Inter were quick to decline the deal.
What Is Chelsea’s Current Striker Situation?
Before the start of the campaign, there were multiple questions raised regarding this Chelsea’s side’s attacking capabilities, especially after the gutting departure of Belgian superstar Eden Hazard last summer. Throughout the campaign though, fortunately enough, things have worked out for Chelsea to a certain extent. A lot of the credit for that must go to English striker Tammy Abraham, who despite being just 22, managed to efficiently lead the line for Chelsea in his first-ever season in the Premier League.
Abraham though, picked up an unexpected back injury around the midway point in the season, at which point Lampard was forced to use the alternatives. Michy Batshuayi was brought into the side and saying that he was a failure this season would only be an understatement.
Lampard was then required to dive even further into the squad to bring out Olivier Giroud. Although Abraham and Giroud did manage to do a decent enough job between themselves, the addition of a proper striker to replace Batshuayi would go a long way for Chelsea.
What Would Mauro Icardi Add To This Chelsea Side?
The Argentine striker has been the source of multiple controversies over the years, but another thing that he tends to do consistently is finding the back of the net. The 27-year-old is undoubtedly one of the best finishers in the whole of Europe, and that’s precisely the kind of profile that Lampard will be after.
Capable of scoring goals in even the unlikeliest of situations, getting Icardi would act as a breath of fresh air on this Chelsea front-line. Moreover, having dealt with a man of Diego Costa’s irritability, the Chelsea staff could be well-suited to working with Mauro Icardi.
Chelsea Remain In The Race For Mauro Icardi: Should Lampard Bring Him In?
One thing that the Argentine forward promises upon arrival are goals, and that’s probably the one commodity that Frank Lampard is most after right now. The Inter Milan man’s 20 Ligue 1 outings this season resulted in 12 goals, while his career record of 185 goals from a little over 300 matches is quite commendable too. Adding a striker of Icardi’s quality and experience into the mix could be exactly what this Chelsea team needs, especially with all the promising young players that have already been at their disposal this season.
