Chelsea have endured a frustrating start to the 2023/24 Premier League campaign under Mauricio Pochettino and are already slipping away from the top four race.
The Blues are currently 13th in the table and 12 points off Arsenal in fourth. However, they face Tottenham Hotspur away from Stamford Bridge on Monday night and have the opportunity to close that gap to single digits with a victory.
All of the current top seven have found the back of the net at least 22 times so far this season. Meanwhile, Chelsea have only scored 13 goals and are lacking a consistent scorer in the final third. Pochettino could look to remedy the situation during the upcoming January transfer window by adding another centre-forward option to his ranks.
Chelsea transfer news – Ollie Watkins
Journalist Simon Phillips, via his Substack, has revealed that the Blues are looking at Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins as a possible target for 2024.
The reporter has claimed that Pochettino has placed an emphasis on the club eyeing up players who are proven in the Premier League and know what it takes to perform at this level.
With that in mind, Watkins and Brentford star Ivan Toney have both emerged as Chelsea targets as they look to improve their attacking arsenal.
However, the Villans forward put pen to paper on a new long-term contract with his club at the start of October and it remains to be seen how viable a deal for the England international would be if Todd Boehly does decide to swoop for the impressive goalscorer at the start of next year.
"Unstoppable" Watkins is better than Jackson
Watkins has been in terrific form since the start of last season and has proven himself to be a reliable scoring option at Premier League level. This makes him a dream target for Pochettino due to the ex-Spurs head coach's desire for players who have been there and done it in English football.
Last term, the English number nine plundered 15 goals and six assists in 37 top-flight outings for Villa, which was eight more goals than any Chelsea player managed during the 2022/23 league campaign.
The 27-year-old marksman has also started the current season in fine form as a scorer and a creator at the top end of the pitch for Unai Emery's side.
He has racked up five goals and five assists in 11 Premier League matches and four goals in five Europa Conference League outings – including the play-offs. Meanwhile, Raheem Sterling is Chelsea's top scorer in the league with three strikes and first-choice centre-forward Nicolas Jackson has only produced two goals so far.
These statistics suggest that the Villa dynamo, dubbed "unstoppable" by Jamie Carragher last season, has the potential to be an exceptional addition to Pochettino's squad as he has the quality to carry a goal threat that has been lacking from Stamford Bridge over the last 18 months.
Watkins' impressive assist total also suggests that the £130k-per-week ace could be a huge creative presence for the Blues as no Chelsea player has managed more than two so far this term.
