Chelsea have been told they are better-off signing Al-Ittihad striker, Karim Benzema instead of going after Brighton’s Evan Ferguson.
This is according to former Chelsea defender, Glen Johnson.
Despite spending over £1b on signing players in the last three transfer windows, the Blues are yet to find a Didier Drogba or Diego Costa type of striker, as they sit in mid-table on the Premier League rankings.
Nicolas Jackson was brought in from Villarreal over the summer, but the 22-year-old has only managed to find the net eight times this season, leading to Mauricio Pochettino looking for a new addition to his front line.
Chelsea have been rumoured to be interested in 19-year-old Ferguson, who is reportedly valued at £100m, but Johnson is of the opinion that his former club would be crazy to pay that amount for such an unproven player.
“This Chelsea side at the minute needs an experienced striker. 100 per cent. They need a big name that’s going to make their opponents fearful,” the ex-Chelsea right-back told Betfred.
“Regarding Evan Ferguson, don’t get me wrong he may eventually become the next big thing and I hope he does, but Chelsea can’t be spending £100 million on a 19-year-old.
“They’ve spent a fortune on youngsters already and they don’t have two or three years to wait.
“What are the chances that a 19-year-old is going to have the character and knowledge to be the main man for Chelsea? It’s highly, highly unlikely.
“In two or three years he may be at the level to achieve that, but not right now because he’s not fully proven yet. £100 million for Evan sounds bonkers to me.”
Chelsea have also been linked with an interest in ex-Real Madrid star, Benzema, who is believed to be unsettled in Saudi Arabia, despite scoring 15 goals in his first 24 games for Al-Ittihad, and Johnson has now stated that the experience of the 36-year-old would be of immense value for Pochettino’s side.
Asked if Chelsea should make a move for Benzema, Johnson replied: “100 per cent. Absolutely.
“He’s the type of big-name striker you need because he’s won almost everything in the game.
“He’s a goal machine, so you’d expect him to adapt easily to the Premier League.
“If a loan deal is the only option, then Chelsea have to try and sign him.”