Thomas Tuchel sends message to his Chelsea strikers amid Haaland and Aguero transfer links


Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel has set his misfiring strikers the challenge of increasing their respective goal tallies between now and the end of the season before deciding on how to attack this summer’s transfer window.

Despite having enjoyed a hugely successful start to life in charge at Stamford Bridge, losing just one of his first 16 games in charge, Tuchel has been unable to unlock the potential within his forward line.

Despite inheriting a crop of strikers consisting of Timo Werner, Tammy Abraham and Olivier Giroud, plus Kai Havertz who occasionally plays through the centre in a false nine role, Tuchel has not found a way to unleash them.

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Between them, Werner, who arrived at Stamford Bridge for a big money fee from RB Leipzig almost a year ago, Abraham and Giroud have scored a paltry four goals since Tuchel’s arrivals. For players of their respective talents and status’ within the game it is not good enough.

With that said, it is becoming clear that the Blues need to bolster their attacking options this summer. Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland is understood to be at the very top of Tuchel’s wish list, with the Norwegian international’s form in the Bundesliga this term having raised eyebrows across the globe.

But whilst a move for Haaland would almost certainly cost the Blues more than £100million, they will have the opportunity to try and land Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero on a free-transfer this summer after it was recently confirmed that he would be leaving the Etihad Stadium at the end of this season when his contract expires.

Whilst an actual transfer fee would not be required for Aguero, his wages would not come cheaply, nor would Haaland’s, meaning the Blues may favour a move for either of them depending on their financial status.

But before deciding on who to swoop for this summer, Tuchel has laid down the gauntlet to his current attackers to try and end the season with a flourish.

“For the next eight weeks, we just have to think how we can improve the scoring and the scoring situation, and nothing else, and then in the summer we will think further and think together with the club about what solutions are the best solutions for us,” Tuchel explained, as quoted by the Mail.

“Is it the best solution to stay with our squad? Is it the best solution to stay in the formation that we have? Can we improve on the training pitch individually and as a group… these are the questions for June.

“For now, in April when we arrive, everybody knows that when you read the statistics it’s obvious and the guys lack this last percentage of confidence when they don’t score.

“Everybody wants higher numbers, us, you, but it’s difficult for us to produce, obviously, but we will not stop pushing.”

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Although Chelsea’s strikers have failed to deliver the goods in recent weeks, players from other areas of the team have been chipping in with goals, with Tuchel’s new-look wing-back system producing the goods.

However, the likes of Werner, Abraham and Giroud should be doing more when chances come their way. Between them this season, the trio have scored 33 goals, with Abraham currently top of the scoring charts with 12.

In truth, Werner’s maiden season in England has not worked out as well as anyone had hoped for, with his form since the turn of the year having come under deep scrutiny. He has scored just twice this calendar year and one of those goals came against League Two side Morecambe in the FA Cup.





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