Does anyone honestly think that Sturridge would leave? Chelsea transfer talk: Sturridge to Chelsea makes sense but would Liverpool sell? Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho’s comments earlier this week that the Blues ‘lack a scorer’ was further evident after his side squandered a number of golden opportunities against Galatasaray on Wednesday evening. Despite Fernando Torres finding the net for the first time since mid-January, the Spaniard was guilty of failing to put the match to bed, instead offering the Turkish side a way back into the tie as the match ended 1-1. Mourinho’s issues in the striking department are clear for all to see, despite the Portuguese boasting envious options in the form of Torres, Samuel Eto’o and Demba Ba. Indeed the questionable form of the trio have been something of a crutch to Chelsea this season, prompting suggestions that the Blues will splash the cash in the summer to attempt to lure the likes of Radamel Falcao and Diego Costa to Stamford Bridge. According to recent reports however, the west Londoners could surprise everyone with a move for former charge Daniel Sturridge, just 18 months after letting him leave for Liverpool in a £12m deal. But should Chelsea make a move for him and what would it take to tempt Liverpool to sell? talkSPORT takes a look… Phenomenal Sturridge has unquestionably been in the form of his life since arriving at Anfield, scoring 10 times in 14 league appearances during the second half of last season and adding to that with a further 18 goals in 19 league fixtures this campaign. His prolificacy has not gone unnoticed, and barring serious injury, he will be leading the England front line in Brazil this summer. Compared to Chelsea’s current crop of scorers – the Blues’ strikers have scored a collective 11 league goals between them this season – it seems as though goals will not be a problem for Sturridge, so long as he gets the level of service he receives at Liverpool. In Sturridge, there is the potential level of goalscorer which Chelsea would not have seen since Didier Drogba exhibited his best goal return in a season, bagging 29 league goals in 32 matches in the 2009/10 season. How would he fit in? One of the main problems surrounding a potential move – barring Liverpool’s reluctance to sell – would surely be Sturridge’s concern over assurances of his position. The 24-year-old has previously commented that he left Chelsea because “people didn’t believe in me,” with the striker usually finding himself playing on the wing. His lack of frequent game time playing through the middle at Stamford Bridge has proven to be a massive oversight by the Blues’ hierarchy, one they surely wouldn’t make again given the chance. Any arrival of Sturridge wouldn’t come without its problems however, with Jose Mourinho having to juggle the playing time of the England man and that of Torres, Eto’o and Ba – given the latter two are still at the club. Should Eto’o and Ba leave in the summer, that would ease the pressure somewhat, but it would be difficult for Sturridge to leave a club where he is the main man in this respect. Cost effective Perhaps one of the most appealing aspects of a potential move for Daniel Sturridge from a Chelsea point of view, would be the total cost it would take to bring him back to Stamford Bridge. Of the striker options around Europe, the Liverpool man would arguably be the most cost effective, with Monaco’s Radamel Falcao likely to be priced close to the £50m the Ligue 1 side paid for him less than a year ago, while any deal for Atletico Madrid’s Diego Costa would surely cost a similar figure – some reports claim he is valued upwards of £40m. While transfer fees may be negotiable, the arrival of either of these superstars would add a significant burden on the club’s wage budget. Falcao is rumoured to be on an eye-watering £450,000-a-week in the tax-free principality, whereas Costa is thought to have a clause in his current contract dictating that interested parties will have to treble his current pay-packet. Conversely, although a transfer for Sturridge would speculatively be worth at least double what Liverpool paid for him, the England man’s wages shouldn’t dent the pocket of Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich too much. Should Sturridge replicate his form over the past 18 months in west London, then it would definitely be money well spent. talksport
Posted on: Sat, 01 Mar 2014 11:00:00 +0000
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