Chelsea are reportedly looking to launch a £20 million summer move for Freiburg forward Luca Waldschmidt, who has been likened to the great Gerd Muller.
According to The Sun, Chelsea have identified Luca Waldschmidt as a summer target, with Frank Lampard in need to reinforce the central attacking position for the upcoming season(s). The Blues are plotting a £20 million summer move for the Freiburg forward when the transfer window reopens.
Luca Waldschmidt has risen to fame after his move to Freiburg in 2018. The 2019-20 season may have been suspended due to the coronavirus outbreak. But, Waldschmidt had a fruitful campaign, with the highlight being his senior debut for Germany. Although the 23-year-old bagged 5 goals in 15 Bundesliga games for Freiburg, his overall form did not go unnoticed.
Waldschmidt may not be a popular figure in world football. But, the 23-year-old has been compared to German legend Gerd Muller after his exploits in the Under-21 European Championships in Italy in 2019. The Freiburg striker found the back of the net seven times in four games in the esteemed competition, sparking an interest from Frank Lampard.
Now the manager at Chelsea, Frank Lampard has run into a bit of a crisis as far as centre-forwards are concerned. Tammy Abraham is the only one to impress on a consistent basis. But, the academy graduate has been found out a few times, which points to the need for an alternative option.
With Olivier Giroud set to leave on a free transfer and Michy Batshuayi failing to produce in front of goal, Chelsea are in need of a new striker.@gpriestman1998 takes a look at Gian-Luca Waldschmidt and whether or not he can get the job done at Chelsea. https://t.co/JcWVHrMWPP pic.twitter.com/6svBGbEcQp
— Breaking The Lines (@BTLvid) April 20, 2020
Michy Batshuayi has a good record so far under Lampard, scoring a total of 7 goals in all competitions despite having spent just 656 minutes on the football pitch representing Chelsea this season so far. But, the Belgian is unlikely to stick around for much longer if his form isn’t rewarded with additional game time.
Olivier Giroud, on the other hand, has almost been frozen out by Frank Lampard, with the 2018 World Cup winner bagging rare starts and appearances. The Frenchman is reported to be on his way out of Chelsea, which would further deplete the options available to the manager.
Lampard will be aware of the prospect of the loss due to suspension of football taking a toll on the transfer budget. Hence, the pursuit of Luca Waldschmidt makes more sense than pursuing popular strikers like Timo Werner, who would cost an awful lot compared to the £20 million that is being quoted for the Freiburg striker.
Waldschmidt will be a realistic target as well, with Liverpool interested in Werner. The Freiburg striker is still very much a rising star and given his age, will fit well into the ambitious youthful squad at Chelsea. Not to mention his ability to play off of the main striker and out wide, which would make things easier for Lampard when trying to tweak setups and tactics.
This sounds like a deal that could be wrapped quickly by Chelsea, if they are indeed serious for the forward who has drawn comparisons with Gerd Muller back in Germany.
