For all the money spent, why didn't Chelsea sign a striker in January?

Wednesday's Champions League defeat at Dortmund continued Chelsea's struggles in front of goal

Enzo Fernandez of Chelsea during the match against Fulham at Stamford Bridge on Friday, February 3, 2023. Getty

Enzo Fernandez made his Chelsea debut against Fulham at Stamford Bridge on Friday. AP

Reece James of Chelsea battles with Antonee Robinson of Fulham. Getty

Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno against Chelsea. EPA

Chelsea's striker David Fofana fights for the ball with Fulham's defender Kenny Tete. AFP

Conor Gallagher of Chelsea vies for the ball with Andreas Pereira of Fulham. EPA

Chelsea manager Graham Potter speaks to Ben Chilwell at Stamford Bridge. PA

Fulham's Joao Palhinha shoots at goal. Reuters

There can oftentimes be a fixation on the transfer market and its overinflated role in solving every problem at a football club, but in Chelsea's case and their severe struggle for goals, it's the logical place to turn.

A failure to score in Wednesday's Champions League last-16 first-leg match against Borussia Dortmund leaves the Blues needing to overturn a 1-0 deficit at Stamford Bridge in just under three weeks' time. And they will need to do so without the only fit senior striker on their books after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, a summer arrival now on the periphery of the squad, deregistered from their Champions League squad.

Based on the stats from the Signal Iduna Park, creating chances shouldn't be a problem, particularly following the mid-season arrivals of Joao Felix, Mykhailo Mudryk, Enzo Fernandez, and Noni Madueke, but converting those chances remains a cause for concern.

Chelsea have scored only 23 goals in 22 Premier League games this season; since the turn of the year, the Blues have scored just four goals in nine matches, and have only twice scored two goals in one match since the start of November.

Given all of Chelsea's recent, record-breaking recruitment and even more so with the squad's glaring lack of goals, the question is becoming more pressing with each passing match: why didn't Chelsea sign a striker in January?

Lack of viable options

Victor Osimhen would seem an ideal transfer target for Chelsea but there was no way title-chasing Napoli would let him leave mid-season. AFP

The most obvious answer is that amid their enormous January splurge, there simply wasn't the right strikers available to help solve the problem. January can be a notoriously difficult window to conduct business, especially for top-tier players with vital roles at their clubs, and even more so for centre-forwards on whom teams are reliant for goals.

For instance, Victor Osimhen would seem the ideal transfer target for Chelsea: the 24-year-old Nigerian is the right age and is a proven goalscorer at the top level, but with Napoli chasing Serie A glory and Osimhen vital to those ambitions, a mid-season exit was never going to happen.

Chelsea have shown they are not shy to open the chequebook and are not afraid to stockpile the squad, but a lack of seemingly viable options immediately available has left the Blues short in one of the key areas that needs improvement.

Waiting on Nkunku

Christopher Nkunku has scored 17 goals this season, following 35 goals last campaign. EPA

Chelsea are expected to sign of one of Europe's most exciting young forwards in the summer in Christopher Nkunku, with RB Leipzig's sporting director Max Eberl saying "signs are very, very clear that he's moving to Chelsea".

While the deal is yet to be completed, Nkunku would be signed primarily to contribute goals; the German forward sits second in the Bundesliga top-scorers' charts this season with 12 from 15 games – and 17 in all competitions – despite missing the last five matches with a knee injury.

Last season, the 25-year-old Germany international scored 35 goals across competitions – precisely the sort of output Chelsea are desperately missing.

Lukaku's third chance?

Romelu Lukaku is still on the Chelsea books and is spending this season on loan back at Inter Milan. EPA

Chelsea's lack of goals is nothing new and predates Graham Potter. After the Blues won the Champions League in 2021 – the winning goal scored by Kai Havertz, the player filling the No 9 role at present – that problem looked to be solved when Romelu Lukaku, fresh from firing Inter Milan to the scudetto, returned for a second stint at Stamford Bridge.

A then club record transfer appeared to be money well spent when Lukaku started in fine form but it quickly turned sour and the Belgian is on loan back at Inter this season.

It's not going particularly well at the San Siro, though, with fitness and form issues limiting Lukaku to 10 games and scoring just one goal. Inter are reportedly not all that keen to make his move permanent, so hopes of offloading an expensive asset at the end of the season do not look promising.

Could that give Lukaku a third and final chance to come good at Stamford Bridge next season? The 29-year-old has burned plenty of bridges and the fans are hardly on his side, but perhaps a clean slate under Potter and a new-look side might help Lukaku turn a corner. Plus, the fans will soon forgive his transgressions if he starts banging in the goals.