By Korede James
Former Chelsea midfielder and manager Roberto Di Matteo has named Super Eagles star Victor Osimhen and Alexander Isak as the two strikers the Blues should be looking to sign this summer.
The attacking third is one area the Blues would be looking to strengthen this summer, according to reports.
Before injury cut short his season Senegal striker Nicolas Jackson was hardly prolific, going eight games without a goal.
Both Osimhen and Isak have been impressive for Galatasaray and Newcastle respectively, the Super Eagles striker having registered 20 goals and four assists in 23 league appearances, while the Swede has 19 goals and five assists in 25 English top flight appearances.
“When it comes to strengthening the team in the summer, I’d probably be looking through the middle, first of all,” Di Matteo, who led Chelsea to their first UEFA Champions League title in 2012, told Ladbrokes.
“It’s a very talented team, but they’re probably lacking a bit of experience, maybe, in terms of players who’ve had a lot of success, playing many years in the Premier League, knowing certain ways to win games.
“You can only gain that experience with time, and minutes in the league. I like Nicolas Jackson a lot, and he’s someone who can only get better.
“I still think, though, Chelsea need a striker who is going to score them 25 goals a season – if you want to win the league, or challenge, that’s what you need.
“That’s not a criticism of Jackson though; I also think another striker would allow you the option to sometimes play with two up-front.
“I’d also look at the goalkeeper – that’s been an issue for Chelsea in the last couple of seasons, so maybe an experienced goalkeeper, with a big personality, who can come in and have an immediate impact on the back four.
“That’s very important; that there’s a trust from your defenders to the goalkeeper, and vice versa.
“For me, there’s one name at the top of my mind who has those attributes… Emi Martinez, from Aston Villa. He’s at the right age now, he’s won titles, he’s a big personality.
“Up-front, there are a couple of options you could go for. Alexander Isak, at Newcastle – he’s been playing in the Premier League for a while now, so he knows very much what the league is about.
“Then you’ve got Victor Osimhen, who has already been linked with the club before and he’s a top, top striker. I’d be looking at either of those two, personally.”
