According to a recent report by Marca (via the Express), Chelsea have no plans to sign Gonzalo Higuain from Juventus when his loan deal at Stamford Bridge expires at the end of this campaign.
The same source has revealed that the Pensioners have an option to extend the Argentine striker’s loan contract by 12 months by paying a £15.5m fee to Juventus. However, they have no intention of taking up that option after Higuain’s lacklustre spell at the club thus far.
The South American goal-getter has failed to hit the ground running at the West London club since joining them during the January transfer window. He has still managed to score three goals in seven matches for Maurizio Sarri’s side this season.
Chelsea were recently handed a ban from signing players in the next two transfer windows by FIFA so retaining players like Higuain remain a priority if they are to continue challenging at the top of the Premier League in the following campaign. Sarri cannot afford to lose any of his current first-team stars, so it is quite baffling that they are willing to let the Argentine striker leave because of his poor form.
If the Pensioners opt against signing Higuain, then there is a real chance that Olivier Giroud might be the only senior striker at Sarri’s disposal.
Higuain has proven his worth at the highest level for a sustained period during his time in Italy and Spain. The famous old saying, ‘Form is temporary, but class is permanent’ rings so true in this situation. The West London outfit are better of taking up the option of signing the Argentine forward for another year as he could help them cope with FIFA’s transfer ban. The former Napoli forward might be struggling at the moment, but he might come good for them soon as he is a proven goal-scorer.
For an elite club like Chelsea, a £15.5m loan fee should not be a stumbling block especially when they are set to face such a difficult situation in the summer. Sarri will be making a huge mistake if he lets his star forward leave ahead of the new campaign. Furthermore, if Chelsea ends up missing out on Champions League football at the end of this season, then there is a possibility that Higuain might not want to stay at the club even if the Pensioners change their stance on keeping him.
