Gonzalo Higuain: Answer to Chelsea’s problems or a waste of money?

Blues closing in on move for Argentine hitman

It’s no surprise to see Chelsea reportedly agreeing a deal for a high-profile striker this month. It seemed only a matter of time, with Alvaro Morata’s first 18 months at the club a major disappointment for Blues fans.

The man primed to replace him is Gonzalo Higuain. A part of Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri’s Napoli side earlier in the decade, he’s a player the Italian seems keen to reunite with.

But would the 31-year-old prove an inspired acquisition or another attacking dud? We investigate…

The Pros: Sarri connection, bouncing back and goalscoring pedigree

While the Argentine spent just one season under Sarri at Napoli, the pairing produced the best campaign of Higuain’s career to date.

He averaged over a goal a game in Serie A, with 36 strikes in 35 outings. And consistency – not gluts – meant the vast majority were crucial goals. Of Napoli’s 25 victories that term, he found the net in all but two.

That’s not to say that Higuain never has poor displays. But – unlike the fragile Morata – he bounces back from them with the minimum of fuss.

Last season’s Champions League clashes with Tottenham Hotspur were a perfect illustration of this. After fluffing a key penalty in the first leg of the pair’s round of 16 game (a 2-2 draw), many players could have crumbled.

However, the Brest-born hitman took the second leg by the scruff of the neck, scoring Juventus’ equaliser on the night before setting up Paulo Dybala’s winner.

Experience is also on his side. To use a well-worn cliché, Higuain knows where the back of the net is. Having hit over 100 goals in both La Liga and Serie A, he’s almost guaranteed to hit double figures in the league.