Is Samu Omorodion the answer to Chelsea's long-standing striker problem?

 

Chelsea's hunt for a new number nine may well be coming to an end. Following a forgettable pre-season tour of the US, the Blues remain in the hunt for a striker to lead the line next season. The Blues have been linked with a number of frontmen in recent weeks but reports on Monday suggest they'll make another play for Atletico Madrid striker Samu Omorodion.

 

While Atletico previously rebuffed any efforts from the Blues to sign the 20-year-old, the decision to sell Conor Gallagher to Los Colchoneros for a fee arguably below market value suggests Chelsea are hoping the Spanish side's stance on Omorodion will soften. Atletico view the youngster as one for the future, so it would still take a significant bid from the Premier League side to convince the La Liga giants to cash in.

 

Nevertheless, with Alexander Sorloth joining from Villarreal and Julian Alvarez close to a move to the Wanda Metropolitano, Atletico will be looking to raise funds to help balance the books. One of the more sellable assets, then, is Omorodion, even if they'd be reluctant to cash in a striker they only signed last summer.

 

 

With Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca favouring a system with a lone frontman, Omorodion is a decent fit to lead the line. Having shone for Alaves last season, a side that played a 4-2-3-1 formation, the loan spell would have been great experience for the up and coming striker. Omorodion may not have been first choice for the duration of the campaign, with 13 of his 34 Alaves appearances coming from the bench, but he maximised his time on the pitch, scoring eight and providing one assist.

 

What would have caught the eye was the way with which he maximised his chances on the break to hurt opponents. Alaves returned the lowest possession average (40.7%) in La Liga last season, meaning they routinely sat back before hitting opponents on the counter. Indeed, while they scored the fifth fewest goals (36), five counter-attacking goals was the fifth most in Spain's top tier. Of those five, four were scored by Omorodion, more than any other player in La Liga.

 

 

Some may be concerned at the lack of input into the build up play but Omorodion is a player who comes alive in the opposition box. You won't see the youngster linking up with teammates, evident in that he averaged just 14.8 passes per 90 for Alaves in La Liga last season however the aim of the striker in this Maresca system isn't to help knit the attack together but rather simply put the ball in the back of the net.

 

Omorodion averaged just 20.1 touches per game in Spain's top tier last term, yet in turn; managed 3.4 touches in the opposition box per game. He comes alive in the final third. By comparison the the strikers Leicester used under Maresca in the Championship last season, Kelechi Iheanacho managed 22.8 touches per game, Patson Daka 22.5 and Jamie Vardy 15.2. Respectively, the trio had 2.4, 3.7 and 3.4 touches per game inside the penalty area. Alaves and Leicester may have implemented different gameplans in their respective leagues but the role of the striker was similar.

 

For a Chelsea side that is expected to implement a high-pressing system just as Leicester did under Maresca, Omorodion's work off the ball will be important in ensuring the Italian succeeds at Stamford Bridge. He won possession in the attacking third an average of 0.29 times per game in La Liga last season, and his hard work and desire to disrupt defences is crucial if the press is to succeed. While not the most technically refined striker, Omorodion is still young and this side to his game can be worked upon and developed accordingly.  

 

What is crucial, though, is that Chelsea give Omorodion patience. There were goalless periods for Alaves last season and he is still and young striker learning his trade. If given the time to improve his all-round game, then Omorodion could prove the answer to Chelsea's long-standing striker problem.

Is Samu Omorodion the answer to Chelsea's long-standing striker problem?