After months of speculation, Chelsea have finally secured the services of Gonzalo Higuain, who has signed a loan deal for the rest of the season from Juventus.
The 31-year-old has always had his share of detractors, and while he certainly divides opinion in his native Argentina, many believe Higuain could be the cure to Chelsea’s goal-scoring problems.
And in this article, we will discuss three reasons why the Argentine star could thrive at Stamford Bridge.
HE IS NOT JUST A FOX IN THE BOX
Despite being a subject of criticism with regards to his tendency of missing big chances, Higuain boasts an incredible scoring reputation, having netted a whopping 117 goals in just 192 league matches during his time in Italy.
He’s a natural goal-scorer, who can add much-needed productivity to the Chelsea attack that has appeared over-reliant on the scoring prowess of Eden Hazard.
Higuain is also better balanced in his ability as a player when compared to Olivier Giroud or Alvaro Morata. Giroud is especially known for his aerial ability and the team mostly resort to pinging crosses into the box when he is on the pitch. Morata’s finishing was a reason Chelsea got him to Stamford Bridge, but his inexperience and inability to settle into life in England has resulted in him failing to come up with the goods in that respect as well.
Higuain, on the other hand, does not rely on any particular skill set. He is wily in the box and is known to take shots at goal from a distance as well. His link-up play is also something which will help him gain prominence in the Blues’ lineup.
The Argentine international has attempted 56 shots on goal this season with an astounding average of 3.7 per game, almost 1.4 of which, have come from outside the 18-yard box.
EXPERIENCE IS KEY
Experience often becomes important when it comes to integrating into a whole different league and Higuain, in that regard, has a vast amount of experience at the highest level of football.
The 31-year-old has totalled almost 400 appearances during his time in the Spanish and Italian top flight. Adding to that, he has also earned 75 caps for Argentina, during which he has scored 31 goals, which is certainly an impressive record for any striker.
And this experience will definitely help him get up and running right from the start as Chelsea look to continue their push for silverware.
FAMILIARITY WITH SARRI
After the Christian Pulisic deal took Chelsea head coach Maurizio Sarri by surprise, we can be assured that the signing of Higuain is something the Italian definitely approves of.
The two know each other well from their time together at Napoli, which also happened to be the most fruitful period of Higuain’s career.
Indeed, the forward netted 38 goals in just 42 games under the leadership of the Italian mastermind, 36 of which came in the league.
And therefore, the deal makes total sense not just from the manager’s perspective but also for the player as it will present Higuain with the opportunity to showcase his quality in what is widely regarded as the most competitive league in the world.
Stat courtesy: Whoscored
