Enzo Maresca had to stress that he still has the backing of the board after Chelsea lost 2-1 to Legia Warsaw in the Conference League.
The Blues had won 3-0 away from home the week before, but there’s no denying that results haven’t been good enough for some time, with fans frustrated about Maresca’s supposed pragmatic tactics on the ball.
Five wins from 16 in all competitions make a telling comment on the issues, further compounded by Cole Palmer’s ongoing dry spell in front of goal.
Nicolas Jackson has also struggled for form since returning from injury this month, and it’s clear a new centre-forward needs to be signed this summer.
In fact, the club have already done due diligence on one of Europe’s hottest number nines and are prepared to make a bid.
Chelsea set to bid for new striker
According to Spanish reports, Chelsea are set to make a bid for Borussia Dortmund striker Serhou Guirassy, 29, this summer as Maresca looks to strengthen his ailing frontline.
Juventus and Napoli are also believed to be monitoring Guirassy’s situation, but Chelsea hold financial sway over the Serie A sides and may yet secure a pathway through to next year’s Champions League.
Though The Yellow Wall would seek to recoup €70m (£59m) for last year’s investment, this would be an affordable figure for one of the game’s most efficient goalscorers of recent years.
Why Chelsea should sign Serhou Guirassy
Guirassy, hitherto a relative unknown, rose to prominence with his prolific performances for Stuttgart last season. However, his success since transferring to Dortmund last summer has shown he’s more than a flash-in-the-pan.
24/25 – Bor. Dortmund
40
28
8
23/24 – Stuttgart
30
30
3
22/23 – Stuttgart
29
14
2
21/22 – Rennes
48
12
3
20/21 – Rennes
33
14
1
As the Guinean striker’s career will tell you, development isn’t linear. Raheem Sterling, for example, has been on the decline in recent years and is just one year Guirassy’s senior.
But Guirassy has come on leaps and bounds, with German legend Lothar Matthaus actually praising him as “one of the best strikers in Europe.”
Though English football is a whole ‘nother wheelhouse, Dortmund’s number nine is also the Champions League top scorer this season, leapfrogging Raphinha after bagging a hat-trick against La Blaugrana before bowing out on aggregate.
Guirassy’s 28-goal haul this term is beyond even Palmer’s return last season, 27 goals across 48 matches in all competitions. It suggests that at the least he would be an upgrade on Jackson, who started strong this term but has since foundered, criticised for being “erratic and wasteful” by Blues podcaster Rob Lawman.
Jackson, 23, has gone 11 matches without scoring in the Premier League and continues to miss promising chances in the final third, squandering a staggering 42 big chances since arriving on English shores, notching only 23 goals.
As per FBref, Guirassy ranks among the top 10% of centre-forwards across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for goals scored, the top 10% for pass completion and the top 14% for aerial duels won per 90.
His Stuttgart success wasn’t an isolated thing, after all.
Looking at the 6 foot 1 striker’s clinical shooting, just 38 big chances missed across the past two Bundesliga terms, having scored 43 times, it’s clear to see why Maresca would want to add him to the mix, especially when considering his crisp passing and composed head too.
Jackson has ebbed and flowed since leaving Villarreal for Chelsea in 2023, signing for a £52m fee, and you can see the difference in composure and incisiveness in the final third between the strikers in question.
Ultimately, Chelsea need to raise the bar in front of goal next season if they are to go one further and challenge for the title, challenge for multiple titles.
Guirassy, proven as one of Europe’s most deadly forwards, would fit the bill, and perhaps ease Jackson’s burden as he continues to add the blocks to his skill set.
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