Edin Dzeko vs Alvaro Morata – Should Chelsea Go For The Former Manchester City Star?
Chelsea are reportedly interested in bringing AS Roma forward Edin Dzeko to Stamford Bridge this January. At 31 years of age, the former Manchester City star boasts of a wealth of knowledge and experience. He has performed quite admirably for the Italian club as well, thus making it no surprise that the Blues have placed him on their radar. A deal of €50million is understood to be on the table since Chelsea are also keen on bringing his teammate Emerson Palmieri to London.
It remains to be seen if they can land the duo with that money but there is no doubt that Dzeko is a solid option. Lately, Antonio Conte’s men have struggled in the goalscoring department. Alvaro Morata has been playing day in and day out and that has affected his form. Michy Batshuayi, on the other hand, has not really impressed Conte and he has been included mostly in Carabao Cup encounters.
Hence, there is clearly a void at the club that Dzeko could fill but how does he compare to Chelsea’s current first-choice Alvaro Morata? Let’s take a look at their stats.
Alvaro Morata vs Edin Dzeko
In 25 appearances across competitions for Chelsea this season, Morata has played 1875 minutes on the field, during which he has chipped in with 11 goals and 4 assists. The player received 5 yellow cards in the process while averaging 3.2 shots per game. His pass success-rate stands at a modest 72.5% and he wins about 1.7 aerial duels every match. Until now, the former Real Madrid star has managed to win a solitary Man of The Match award.
Dzeko, on the other hand, has also featured 25 times for Roma across competitions. He has scored 12 goals and 4 assists so far. He has been at the receiving end of 3 yellow cards and he averages 4.4 shots a game. He has a pass success-rate of 73.2% and he wins about 2.5 aerial duels a game. Until now, Dzeko has won the Man Of The Match award twice.
Verdict
As far as the stats go, Dzeko’s numbers are more or less on par with Morata’s, if not better. To be playing like this at the age of 31 is truly commendable. He can bring a lot to the fore and signing a player like him could potentially revamp Chelsea’s attacking situation. Of course, Conte can keep switching between the duo but he could also use them together in a two-striker formation. In order to progress higher up the league and cement their position, the Blues could really use a player like Dzeko.