Chelsea's Striker Crisis: £1.5bn Spending Issues

💰 Where Did Chelsea’s £1.5bn Go? A Look at the Attacking Transfers

Since Boehly’s takeover in 2022, Chelsea have spent a staggering £445 million on attacking players. But a closer look at the numbers reveals a glaring problem: no proven No. 9 has been signed apart from Nicolas Jackson—who is now injured.

Chelsea’s major attacking signings since 2022 include:

Christopher Nkunku – Forward (Second Striker), £52m (Injured 🤕)

Raheem Sterling – Winger, £47.5m (Inconsistent 🎭)

Mykhailo Mudryk – Winger, £62m (Suspended ❌)

Cole Palmer – Winger/False 9, £42.5m (Star Performer ⭐)

João Félix – Attacking Midfielder, £10m (Loan) + £45m (Permanent) (Now at AC Milan 🔄)

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – Striker, £12m (Left for Saudi 🇸🇦)

Deivid Washington – Striker, £17m (Unproven 🔍)

David Datro Fofana – Striker, £17m (On loan 🚪)

Marc Guiu – Striker, £6m (Injured 🤕)

Despite spending heavily, only one true No. 9 (Jackson) was signed for first-team football, and he's now out for six weeks!

Most of the signings are wingers or attacking midfielders, leaving Chelsea without a proper goal-scoring outlet.

😰 The Injury Crisis & Lack of Striking Options

Chelsea’s problems have been amplified by a series of unfortunate injuries.

Their current injury list for forwards includes:

1. Nicolas Jackson – Hamstring injury, out for 6 weeks

2. Marc Guiu – Groin injury, return date unknown

3. Christopher Nkunku – Struggling with fitness, 1 goal in 11 games

4. Noni Madueke – Hamstring injury, return date uncertain

Additionally, Mykhailo Mudryk has been suspended due to alleged doping violations.

This means Chelsea’s only fit senior forwards are:

Cole Palmer (playing as a false nine)

Pedro Neto (a winger)

Jadon Sancho (also a winger)

With no natural striker available, Maresca had to experiment with a front three of Palmer, Neto, and Sancho—none of whom are traditional center-forwards. The result? 0 shots on target against Brighton. 😬

⚽ Tactical Adjustments – Can Maresca Solve the Problem?

Enzo Maresca tried to shake things up against Brighton by moving Nkunku out of the No. 9 role after his poor performances. Instead, he deployed Cole Palmer as a false nine.

However, this plan backfired because:

Without Jackson, Palmer lacked a partner to play off.

The wingers (Neto & Sancho) couldn’t make effective runs behind the defense.

Chelsea dominated possession (69.4%) but failed to create clear-cut chances.

Against Brighton, Chelsea had:

69.4% possession

648 completed passes

0 shots on target

0 goals scored

Chelsea’s best bet now is to:

Improve Nkunku’s sharpness and deploy him as a striker.

Shift Palmer back to his natural playmaking role behind the No. 9.

Utilize academy players like Tyrique George to add attacking depth.

But with just four games left in the season, time is running out. ⏳

📉 Cole Palmer’s Struggles – Is He Being Overburdened?

Cole Palmer has been Chelsea’s standout performer this season, contributing:

14 goals ⚽

6 assists 🎯

However, he has now gone four Premier League games without scoring—his longest dry spell since joining Chelsea. The reason? His role has changed.

Under Pochettino (2023-24), Palmer played as a right-winger, cutting inside to score.

Under Maresca (2024-25), he’s playing centrally as a false nine, struggling to get into goal-scoring positions.

Palmer’s touch map shows that last season, he was more involved on the right flank, whereas this season, he is drifting across the central areas, limiting his impact.

Maresca himself admitted:

"Football is a team game, not tennis. It’s not just about Cole Palmer. We’re all struggling right now."

One thing is clear: Palmer needs to be played in his natural position to thrive.

📊 Chelsea’s Remaining Fixtures – Can They Salvage the Season?

With Champions League qualification out of reach, Chelsea’s only hope is to secure a Europa League spot. But their final games are tough:

Manchester United (A) – April 27 – Very Tough 🔥🔥🔥

Newcastle (H) – May 3 – Medium 🔥

Aston Villa (A) – May 11 – Very Tough 🔥🔥🔥

Brentford (H) – May 18 – Medium 🔥

Chelsea must win at least three of these games to have a chance at finishing in the Top 6.

🔮 Conclusion – What’s Next for Chelsea?

Chelsea’s attacking struggles are the result of poor transfer planning, bad luck with injuries, and tactical confusion. Despite spending £1.5bn, they have no fit No. 9, and Maresca is running out of solutions.

To fix this mess, Chelsea need to:

Sign a world-class striker in the summer 🆕

Use Palmer in his natural position 🎯

Develop young strikers instead of relying on wingers up front 🏆

But for now, the reality is grim: Chelsea are a team without a No. 9, and the results show it. ❌

Do you think Chelsea can recover from this striker crisis? Drop your thoughts in the comments! 💬👇