Chelsea are set to make a move for Callum Wilson but is it the right move for both Maurizio Sarri and the England striker?
The BBC has reported that Gianfranco Zola has confirmed Chelsea’s interested in Bournemouth star Callum Wilson with the 26-year-old having made quite an impression this season. The English international has made 16 appearances, scoring 8 goals and producing a further 6 assists just in the Premier League. That means that he has outscored both Alvaro Morata and Olivier Giroud, Maurizio Sarri’s two main strikers and thus it’s no surprise why they want him.
Not only that, Wilson also sits behind the likes of Mohamed Salah, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Raheem Sterling, Eden Hazard and Harry Kane in the race for the Golden Boot. The Blues’ assistant manager went on to reveal:
“Callum is doing well and is of interest not only for us but for many. He’s strong, fast, and he sees the goal.
I like him because he’s also strong in the air, which is a very important quality, but I don’t want to go into it too much. He’s doing very well and I’m pleased for him.”
That’s high praise coming from the former Chelsea striker, but it only further goes on to confirm what many Premier League fans already know.
Callum Wilson is having the season of his life and if he continues this run of form, Bournemouth will have to fight a battle to keep hold of him. So far Chelsea are the main suitors for Wilson, but manager Eddie Howe isn’t worried, even going on to say recently:
“From my perspective, Callum’s future is here. He is a massive part of what we are doing and I just want to see him continue to score goals for us.”
But the question for Chelsea – and even Callum Wilson – to answer is will the marriage be a successful one, if the Blues do make the £30 million (via Football London) move for the 26-year-old?
That’s something that cannot be answered at the moment, as who knows what might happen. Maurizio Sarri has done a lot more with a lot less and he even converted Dries Mertens from a winger to a classy centre-forward, but does Wilson fit his requirements?
The one fact that all parties know is that Chelsea need a bonafide goal-scoring forward, someone who can help Eden Hazard and take the burden off the Belgian’s shoulders. Otherwise, he’s going to burn himself out trying to win games all on his own.
While both Giroud and Morata can score goals, they cannot do that consistently and that’s something the Blues need, a Diego Costa-esque star to get them back on track.
But while Callum Wilson isn’t a Diego Costa-esque striker, he’s a fighter like the Brazilian-Spaniard and that’s a key trait in a Maurizio Sarri striker. From Dries Mertens and Arkadiusz Milik at Napoli to Francesco Tavano and Massimo Maccarone at Empoli, Sarri loves players who will never give up and will fight to the very end.
That combined with Wilson’s natural speed and strength makes him a good signing. However, bringing him in will only patch up the real issue at Chelsea, but it might just work.
