Former Chelsea star Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink believes the Blues should make an approach to sign Mauro Icardi from Inter Milan when the transfer window reopens at the end of the season. The Argentina international has endured a mixed relationship with the Nerazzurri amid his recent antics and reports have indicated that the Italian club may consider his sale during the summer.
Speaking on Sky Sports, Hasselbaink said that the Blues require a genuine goalscorer upfront and Icardi and Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski are potential choices in his opinion. However, he added that the former could be the perfect foil for the west London side, given he has the age by his side to succeed with the former Premier League champions.
He said: “Chelsea are in desperate need of proven firepower so I would love to see them make a move for Robert Lewandowski or Mauro Icardi this summer. Icardi would be my preference as I am a little bit worried about Lewandowski’s age. I think Icardi is a more realistic target while also being more likely to adapt to the Premier League. Lewandowski is a superb striker but he is the wrong side of 30 and we have seen with Gonzalo Higuain that England is not an easy place to come at that stage of your career.”
“Higuain was recruited from Juventus on a short-term loan from Juventus to solve the predicament upfront“ but the Argentine has struggled to make an impact with just three goals across all competitions. As such, reports have indicated that the Blues are likely to decline the chance to sign him “on a permanent deal“
but that may not necessarily help towards the transfer proceedings.
The Blues are currently banned from signing players for the next two transfer windows but the club are hopeful that they can freeze the embargo for the summer through an appeal to FIFA or the Court of Arbitration for Sport.