Romelu Lukaku to Chelsea is a thing of the past, he will be lining up for Manchester United at next season’s curtain raiser.
For Antonio Conte, the task is simple, adequately replace Diego Costa, or face reliving the Blues’ failures of the past. Lukaku appeared to fit like a glove, but the deal never materialised.
Now it’s very much a case of two strikers, who have been heavily linked with a move to the Premier League champions – Andrea Belotti and Alvaro Morata. But who would be a better fit to spearhead Conte’s attack?
Alvaro Morata
La Liga 2016/17:
Goals: 15
Penalty goals: 0
Assists: 4
Minutes per goal: 89.4
Minutes per goal or assist: 70.5
Shots per goal: 3.6
Andrea Belotti
Serie A 2016/17:
Goals: 26
Penalty goals: 2
Assists: 7
Minutes per goal: 118
Minutes per goal or assist: 93
Shots per goal: 5
Stats via Squawka & WhoScored.
Morata appears to be the more productive striker, but the sample size is less than half the size of Belotti’s. The latter directly contributed to 33 goals for a mid-table side, whereas the majority of Morata’s goals came either off the bench or against minnows.
The major question mark over Morata is whether he can perform consistently while being the primary carrier of a team’s goal burden – Belotti has proven himself able, even if it was for just one season.
Ultimately, both are going to cost the club an arm and a leg, and you cannot say that either are safe bets. Conte is going to have to make a decision, take a risk, and pray that it pays off.
Let us know who you think Chelsea should sign.