Former Chelsea winger Pat Nevin has urged the London club to sign Brentford’s Igor Thiago ahead of next season.
Chelsea haven’t been able to properly address their striker issue for some time now. While the Blues made massive investments in attack last summer, those moves haven’t really worked out. As a result, they are once in the market for a new number nine.
The London club’s former winger, Pat Nevin, wants them to go after the signature of Igor Thiago, who has been on fire in the ongoing campaign. He is a proven Premier League striker who could guarantee goals, and his age also fits into their plans.
While speaking on TEAMtalk, Nevin said, “Who might move? Well, Harry Kane’s the only one you could think of that’s definite. There’s Kylian Mbappe, but you’re not going to get him either. Chelsea, now, are not that kind of club. You also need to fit into Chelsea’s rules, as it were – younger players wanted now.
“In actual fact, how many in the world can you look at and say, right, he’s a stick-on to get 15 or 20 a season, and you’re young and you’re coming through? It just doesn’t exist, really. So it’s a tough one for them, but they’ll keep trying.
“Given the route they’re trying just now – if there was one that was closest, it would probably be Igor Thiago. Because you look at that and think, right, okay, you’re scoring in the Premier League, and you are only 24.
“A lot of the problem with a lot of the other players that you get — and this isn’t just Chelsea, by the way. This seriously isn’t just Chelsea. This is Manchester United as well. They look around and think, yes, they scored a lot of goals in Germany or Italy. That’s different. That’s totally different; it doesn’t always translate.
“So somebody who is currently doing it in the Premier League, maybe he’s the one.”
Chelsea’s search for another forward
With Nicolas Jackson not racking up the desired numbers, the Blues made a significant investment to bring Liam Delap and Joao Pedro to the club last summer. While the Brazilian has lived up to the expectations, the former Ipswich striker has failed to deliver.
The English forward has been involved in 25 matches in all competitions, but has only two goals to his name. He has certainly struggled to hit top gear, and it has resulted in a lot of talk about the Blues going after another striker in the summer.
The London club do have the financial might to go after the signature of some of the biggest forwards in the game. But of late, they have focused on signing young players with massive potential. There are only a handful of young strikers who can guarantee them goals.
Nevin has urged Chelsea to sign Igor Thiago
Brentford’s Igor Thiago is one of them. After a disastrous debut campaign, where he struggled with injuries, the Brazilian has bounced back in some fashion. The 24-year-old has been involved in 28 matches across competitions and has contributed towards 19 goals.
He has bagged 17 league goals, and his performances have resulted in a lot of interest. While his contract runs until the summer of 2031, the Brazilian forward looks set to make the jump to a bigger club in the summer. Nevin has urged his former club to bring him to Stamford Bridge.
He believes the 24-year-old is a perfect fit for their project as well as Liam Rosenior’s system. He can guarantee goals, is a proven Premier League star, and, more importantly, he will only get better with time.
