Chelsea's need for a creative player is clear. Thomas Tuchel doesn't just lack a goalscorer, there is an abundance of players able to carry out their own actions on the pitch, hence claims that the manager has overcoached them into their current form.
This is mainly an issue when Chelsea aren't winning. There are plenty of ways to win matches of football but when Liverpool, Manchester City and now Arsenal are all firing in goals, Chelsea's return looks even worse. Five goals in four matches, only Raheem Sterling has scored as a forward and defenders have the same amount of goals as the the attackers combined.
It's an old tale for Tuchel at Chelsea in some ways. He's always had to make up and cover for weaknesses and flaws in his squad. It's not something that fans see as being sustainable anymore and questions are being asked. Tuchel is ripping up the fabric of the attack that he inherited and trying to implement his own ways.
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That's the justification for pursuing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. A man that knows Tuchel well, offers better finishing than the current crop and is still flexible across the front-line too. Anthony Gordon is another player being looked at but he doesn't offer the same creativity of final third excitement needed. In some sense Sterling doesn't either.
The new spearhead of Chelsea's attack is a fantastic goalscorer and will keep on getting into the position that saw him tap in Reece James' cross against Leicester but he isn't the player that will create chances and act as a maverick. Something Chelsea fans are crying out for. That's why Alan Saint-Maximin looks to appealing. Nobody knows what he will do next and that's attractive to fans that are watching their side scrape by at the moment.
Tuchel wants tactically flexible players with the ability to think for themselves and manoeuvre opportunities that haven't been taken straight from a playbook. He doesn't have that with his current crop, but he sees someone who does.
Crystal Palace's Wilfried Zaha has been one of the league's best players outside the top six for a long time now and at 29 has one big move left in him. The Ivorian winger failed as a prodigy at Manchester United after leaving Palace early on in his career but has built a name for himself at Selhurst Park. With just one year left on his contract, Chelsea are sniffing blood.
Patrick Viera's talisman has started the season brilliantly, scoring three in his first three matches and looks like a player at his peak after consecutive years of notching double figures in the Premier League. His goal against Liverpool at Anfield drew comparisons with Thierry Henry from Gary Neville. "That is Henry! That is a top class finish," Neville stated, before former teammate Yannick Bolasie gave Chelsea fans even more to think about with a quote that stirs up memories of Diego Costa.
The ex-Palace winger tweeted: "Zaha is one of the big boys in the prem…don’t let anyone tell you any different, the quality & fight he brings for palace is something special, if I’m going to war I’m taking him with me."
Upon arriving at Stamford Bridge fan favourite Diego Costa told his new Chelsea teammates something very similar, saying: "I go to war. You come with me." Chelsea have failed to replace Costa effectively but Zaha's impressive tally of 14 league goals last season would be a welcome addition for Tuchel who has struggled to find consistent goalscorers. On top of that, Zaha has taken after another Chelsea icon, Eden Hazard.
The Belgian was often the most fouled player in the Premier League, demonstrating his tight ball control and dribbling skills. Zaha took that small accolade last season, drawing over 100 fouls in just 33 matches. He won a freekick more than once every 30 minutes last term, comparable to Hazard who was often kicked for Chelsea as opponents brought him down or stopped him illegally.
There is also a feeling that a deal to bring Zaha to Chelsea might be getting closer. Journalist Simon Phillips reports: "[Chelsea] have had plenty of positive contact with Zaha’s camp, he wants the move, and Chelsea HAVE had contact with Crystal Palace, twice last week."
As Zaha enters his final year at Palace and Tuchel looks to offer him not only Champions League football but also the promise of a key first team role, the new link-up with Sterling could become a reality this season.
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