Chelsea have claimed back-to-back Premier League wins over Luton Town and Crystal Palace recently, and it looks as though their campaign is finally on the up after a mixed start to the 2023/24 season.
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Although the Blues have spent more than £1b since Todd Boehly took over the club in 2022, this lavish spending doesn’t appear to be ending anytime soon, especially with the January transfer window in full swing.
While the spending this month likely wont reach the levels of January 2023, it is clear that Pochettino is looking to add a player or two, especially to his attacking department.
With Nicolas Jackson currently on Africa Cup of Nations duty for his country, a striker will be an urgent requirement for the Stamford Bridge side, and they have identified a target from La Liga…
Chelsea transfer news – Artem Dovbyk
According to a report from The Sun late last month, the Blues have shown interest in Girona striker Artem Dovbyk, and they could pounce in the next few weeks.
Related Mauricio Pochettino wants to add a true finisher to his side this January.
The report states that the former Paris Saint-Germain manager has sent scouts to watch his performances for the Spanish side – who are taking La Liga by storm this season – and it looks as though he is clearly impressed with what has been relayed back to him.
Girona currently values the attacker at £39m and while this is a lavish fee, it isn’t as high as what Pochettino could spend.
The former Paris Saint-Germain coach wants to add a more physical centre-forward to his side and, standing at 6 foot 2, Dovbyk certainly fits this profile.
Chelsea has had plenty of success in recruiting players from the Spanish top flight in the past, with the likes of Mateo Kovacic, Pedro and Cesc Fàbregas all thriving at Stamford Bridge in one way or another.
One of their best signings in recent years, especially with regard to the centre-forward position, was that of Diego Costa during the summer of 2014 as he arrived from Atlético Madrid.
The hulking striker enjoyed plenty of success in Spain and Chelsea could sign Costa 2.0 if they manage to secure the signature of Dovbyk this month.
The burly Brazilian-born frontman took a while to hit his stride in Europe, and it wasn’t until he joined Atlético Madrid in 2010 that his talent began to shine through.
He did score eight times during his maiden season at the club, but spent the following campaign on loan at Rayo Vallecano, albeit with this giving him a wonderful platform to showcase his skills without the pressure of performing for Atlético on a weekly basis.
Ten goals and four assists in just 16 La Liga matches was enough to convince Diego Simeone of his abilities and, over the next two seasons, Costa found the back of the net on 56 occasions as he led the club to Copa del Rey and La Liga glory along with a showdown against Real Madrid in the 2014 Champions League final.
José Mourinho was impressed and brought the striker to Chelsea that summer, and it proved to be a stroke of genius, with Costa spearheading their charge to a first league crown since 2010 under the enigmatic Portuguese coach.
A further 38 goals were scored in the next two seasons, but by the start of the 2017/18 campaign, he had rejoined Atlético and his Chelsea love affair was over.
Dovbyk has also taken the long road to achieving success in a major European league and his form this season for Girona could lead him to becoming another Costa for Chelsea should he move to England this month.
Artem Dovbyk’s season in numbers
The Ukrainian striker finally began delivering on his vast promise during a spell at SK Dnipro-1 in his homeland, scoring 54 goals in just 86 appearances and this convinced Girona to lure him to Spain ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.
It has since proven to be a masterstroke, with the 26-year-old already netting 11 goals and registering six assists in just 18 league matches as the club currently occupy the heady heights of second in the table, level on points with Real Madrid.
Michel, the Girona manager, had plenty of praise for his centre-forward following a game against Barcelona, saying:
“I haven’t seen the statistics, but I saw a dominant Barca, and they had many shots on goal, but Girona was as always, and I like it. Last year we had no chance of winning and lost 0:1. On a tactical level, Xavi wanted to press us, but we managed to overcome the high press. We used the space, Dovbyk and Tsygankov played a sensational game in the first half."
Dovbyk is not just starring for his club, but also impressing across the continent. Indeed, when compared to his positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues, the Ukrainian is currently ranked in the top 1% for assists per 90 (0.41), the top 10% for non-penalty goals per 90 (0.65) and the top 4% for touches in the attacking penalty area per 90 (7.41) and these statistics clearly demonstrate he would be an ideal signing for Pochettino.
With Jackson unavailable for potentially the next four weeks and Armando Broja looking like he will depart the club, the manager is desperate to recruit another forward in the next week or so.
In Dovbyk, the Blues could sign a player who is ready for the Premier League, especially considering his performances in the Spanish top flight of late.
The move is a no-brainer for Pochettino and, at a fee of £39m, he isn’t going to find someone who can find the back of the net on a more regular basis for cheaper.
The next seven days could be crucial for the club as they seek reinforcements, but if the Girona striker makes his way to London, the Blues will be significantly boosted ahead of the second half of the season.