Zlatan Ibrahimovic of PSG scores his team's second goal past goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois of Chelsea - March 2016. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
Aleksandar Mitrovic, according to Frank Leboeuf, can solve Chelsea’s goal-scoring issues and will have a significant impact on the team.
The Serb had a standout season after Fulham’s promotion to the Premier League this year, scoring 14 goals in 24 league games while missing eight games as a result of a suspension for assaulting the referee.
Meanwhile, Kai Havertz scored just seven league goals in 35 games, keeping Chelsea’s strikers from even reaching double figures.
Leboeuf believes Mitrovic might be the solution to the Blues’ goal-scoring problems and even made a comparison between him and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, (h/t Express) as he said on Si & Dan Talk Chelsea:
“We need a striker, and I think we need someone like Aleksandar Mitrovic from Fulham. Mitrovic has a real mentality, he would move the dressing room. I think Mitrovic has a similar personality to Zlatan Ibrahimovic; he can be that type of guy, he has the mentality of a winner.
I like soldiers. Those guys never blink, they never let go, and they always face it. I love it. He’s done very well for Fulham, and he wouldn’t need to move that far away to join Chelsea!”
Leboeuf might be correct here, the Serbian international has taken the Premier League by storm, scoring 14 goals in 24 games, despite serving an eight-game ban. But while his personality may be Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the way he conducts himself, he isn’t quite the player the Swedish legend was in his heyday.
Mitrovic is tall, strong, and aggressive. Time and again we have seen the former Newcastle United striker get in trouble on the pitch due to his aggression, silly tackles and arguments with referees. It can often be a trait managers and fans don’t like in a player if they take it too far.
He is 28 years old and in the prime of his career. Some would say that he lacks the finesse in his playing style, the consistency with his performances, and the experience with a truly top club to represent a club like Chelsea. Those aren’t invalid points.
But he could be a smart solution to offer competition. For a starting berth, however, Chelsea would be better off pursuing younger strikers with pedigree and experience at the very top level. Victor Osimhen and Juventus’ Dusan Vlahovic, anyone?
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