Hoddle names top Man Utd target who would ‘without a doubt’ solve Chelsea problems

Tottenham legend Glenn Hoddle reckons top Manchester United target Victor Osimhen would solve one big problem at Chelsea.

The Blues have made 17 new signings over the last two transfer windows at a cost of just under £600m but they have received criticism for the lack of a proper centre-forward.

It is likely that Chelsea will finally look at signing a top striker in the summer transfer market with Kai Havertz their current leading goalscorer on nine goals in all competitions.

And, after watching , Hoddle has outlined Chelsea’s desperate need for a new number nine.

“They do need a No.9, they do need a goalscorer,” Hoddle told Premier League Productions.

“But I’ll tell you what, whoever comes in as a new manager for this squad, normally you’d say when a new manager comes in he’s going to want to bring some of his own players in, I think he only needs a No.9, I think everything [else] is there.

“You need someone who you think is going to score 20 goals for you, a fox in the box, someone who wants to be in that area where they’re creating so much.

“But that’s the only player I think they need – they’ve got everything else.

“The important thing is the ones they move out so they can have a more balanced squad, they’ve got so many players, that’s what you use your energy for. Any manager going in there and saying, ‘we’ve got no quality, I need to bring in five players’, no, they’re already there.

“You’ve got two goalkeepers, the back players are strong enough and good enough, you’ve got your midfield, decent, might strengthen one there maybe, if you keep [Joao] Felix… all you need is a No.9 as a new manager going into Chelsea, in my opinion.

“I’d like to know how many clear and good chances over the season they have made, I bet it outnumbers most teams, or it’s up there with the top teams, it’s the conversion rate that’s really hitting them.

“I’m looking at [Kai] Havertz, he’s not a No.9, he wants to float and wants to drop off, that’s okay, Liverpool at their very best had [Roberto] Firmino coming towards the ball, Mane and Salah ended up as centre-forwards. To a certain degree that’s happened with other teams in the past, you have a striker who comes off towards the ball and you have people arriving in the box, making runs from midfield, that balance just needs to be tweaked a bit.

“At the moment, I think what Chelsea have got with the quality of their players, they need a No.9, they need someone who wants to get in the box. Too many times you don’t see that for Chelsea, there’s nobody in the box or there’s one in the box.

Manchester United are also in the market for a new striker as they still haven’t replaced Cristiano Ronaldo, who , permanently.

Prolific Napoli striker Victor Osimhen has been mooted as a top target for Man Utd in the summer transfer window but Hoddle reckons Chelsea should go for him too.

Asked if Osimhen could be the answer to Chelsea’s issues, Hoddle replied: “Without a doubt, he’s number one, but there are a few clubs after him.

“But if you put him in a Chelsea shirt he will score a load of goals.”