Chelsea needed a new striker before Armando Broja had his season horribly cut short by an ACL injury picked up against Aston Villa in a friendly last week. They now need one earlier than previously thought.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was signed as the short-term option over the summer but he hasn't scored since October 11. Kai Havertz shows flashes but hasn't found consistency or a position to be used in for either club or country, Broja was the raw third-choice renegade and wildcard option.
Broja's first start under Potter came against Brentford but his second didn't come until the last week of the pre-World Cup season, he made two in a row in that final week but got limited service and struggled against both Newcastle and Manchester City.
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The Albanian wasn't expected to score 20 goals and propel his side but nevertheless the loss of him until late into 2023 will now be causing Potter some serious headaches. Transfer plans have moved forward, add another centre forward to a raft of players covering the defence and midfield.
That's a lot of work to do in January and the new recruitment team isn't yet in place in full, let alone acting on long-term orders. What has become apparent though is potentially a sea change in strategy already under the new owners. Having gone from no knowledge of David Fofana to signing him for £10m, Chelsea are acting quickly to get deals done.
Christopher Nkunku was worked upon swiftly but out of nowhere, Carney Chukwuemeka was kept under wraps too. Moving silently but efficiently is something that Todd Boehly has already shown he can do, and acting on quickfire information - though not always the best - can be key to getting players in.
In this boat is another forward that could attract Chelsea in January. Transfer expert Simon Phillips told GiveMeSport, "There’s also other names to watch. There’s Beto from Udinese.
“Chelsea have been scouting him all this season on recent scouting missions, and they’ve stepped them up, so he’s another one that could come up.”
The Portugal striker has been impressive in Serie A this season, netting six times in 15 appearances after registering 11 last term too. With Juventus forward Dusan Vlahovic recently picked out as a possible striker option, Beto comes into the bracket below him that Chelsea are also looking to conquer.
It's the same as Fofana. The Blues want to cut out 'middle-man' transfers. Instead of buying a player from Brighton - Marc Cucurella - or Leicester - Wesley Fofana - they would prefer to pick up those players two years early and have them develop at Stamford Bridge instead.
According to Transfermarkt, Beto is currently valued at €13m, the highest of his career, and a number on the rise having doubled in 12 months and 30 times higher than two years ago. Compare that to the bigger financial outlay of Vlahovic, a more proven name. The Serbian is valued at €80m with a career-high of €85m. Although he is also on a steep rise, the 22-year-old is a bigger risk to take for a much bigger price too. The difference here is a massive €67m despite the pair having the same number of goals this season.
It's a risky strategy, but it's new and offers a different perspective in the market.
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