Why Chelsea should abolish the idea of signing Aleksandar Mitrovic
According to the Mirror, Chelsea are amongst the few clubs who have been impressed by Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic. The report says that the Blues are interested in signing the Serb, who is in red-hot form in front of the goal right now.
The striker arrived at Craven Cottage on loan from Newcastle United in January and scored 12 goals in 15 games to help Fulham get promoted to the Premier League.
The 24-year-old then joined the London club permanently in the summer. He has started this season in fine fashion as well, netting five goals in six league games so far.
Alvaro Morata, who arrived at Chelsea from Real Madrid last season, is struggling for form and goals. As a result, manager Maurizio Sarri has rather been forced to start with the 32-year-old Olivier Giroud up top. It is working well because the Frenchman is doing a good job by supporting his teammates.
However, the problem for the Blues is that Giroud is not a long-term prospect. Even though Morata is young, the Spaniard is completely out of form.
Chelsea are under pressure to compete in all four competitions this season. They require depth in the striking department to stand a chance of going deep in each of them.
However, getting Mitrovic might not solve the lingering problem. The Serbian is scoring goals for fun right now but in the longer run, he may not be consistent enough to deliver the goods on a regular basis for a big club like Chelsea.
Moreover, the 24-year-old’s strengths lie in physical play, which is different from the football that Sarri likes to play. The Italian prefers the passing game; building from the back through the midfield and in between the lines. Having someone like Mitrovic would be contradictory to the style of football preferred.
Verdict
If Chelsea are looking for a striker who suits the structure of football deployed by Sarri, Mitrovic is not the one. It’s true that the Serbian would score goals and be a physical nuisance to the defenders but the question is, will he press high and work hard off the ball? It’s a big doubt.
It’s a question of whether he is good enough to play in a system where ground passing is preferred over route one football. The answer is a big ‘No’.