Could Mario Mandzukic be the man to solve Chelsea’s striker woes…?
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In what could be one of the biggest transfers of the summer, Chelsea could be offered excellent Croatian striker Mario Mandzukic by Champions League holders Bayern Munich, according to the Sun.
The striker himself famously scored in the final of the aforementioned competition last term, and has been superb this season as well. Despite not being a guaranteed starter under Pep Guardiola, he’s scored 19 goals in 22 starts in the Bundesliga and Champions League combined, proving to everyone his genuine top level pedigree.
Despite his form, Bayern have concluded a deal to bring Robert Lewandowski to the Allianz Arena in the summer, meaning Mandzukic could drop down the pecking order.
As a result, they have apparently offered the 27-year-old to Chelsea, who are desperate to bring in a forward in the summer.
Neither Fernando Torres, Samuel Eto’o or Demba Ba have reached double figures for league goals yet this term, and Jose Mourinho is very keen to spend big money on a new striker.
Atletico Madrid’s recently capped ‘Spaniard’ Diego Costa has also been linked, but Mandzukic would likely provide a cheaper option.
The Croatian has scored 45 goals in total for Bayern since moving from Wolfsburg, and prides himself on his exceptional aerial ability.
Not only is he a great header of the ball, but he’s very strong too. This enables him to drop deep and hold up the ball, before playing it out wide and moving into the box to wait for service. The forward is most comfortable playing as a lone striker, which suits Chelsea perfectly, as Mourinho has only ever deployed one forward to spearhead his teams.
Mandzukic is a strong finisher on either foot, and at 27, is approaching his peak years. His £110,000-per-week wage demands are well within Chelsea’s budget too, and it remains to be seen whether the Blues will take the chance to secure Mandzukic, or target another of Europe’s very best.
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