Could Chelsea’s new no. 9s be the solution to their striker problem?

In keeping with their transfer flurry under the ownership of the Clearlake consortium, Chelsea have once again been busy in the transfer market, having completed five new signings so far.

Among the aforementioned arrivals are Joao Pedro and Liam Delap, who have been brought in to provide more firepower in attack.

The Blues have been struggling to get an elite striker since the departure of Diego Costa in 2017, who bagged 52 goals in 89 Premier League appearances.

Over the years, Chelsea have fielded multiple strikers, ranging from young talents like Kai Havertz and Nicolas Jackson to seasoned veterans like Gonzalo Higuain and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

However, the striker position has remained a major Achilles’ heel for the Premier League outfit.

Aiming to provide some much-needed competition for Jackson, who has been the undisputed starter for the past two seasons, Chelsea triggered Delap’s £30 million release clause.

Delap was on the plane for Chelsea’s Club World Cup journey, making his debut in the Blues’ opening match against Los Angeles FC, where he provided an assist for Enzo Fernandez eight minutes after coming on as a sub.

His debut strike came in Chelsea’s final group-stage clash against ES Tunis.

With Delap and Jackson battling it out for a starting berth, Chelsea dipped into the striker market once again as they signed Brighton & Hove Albion’s Joao Pedro, and the Brazilian flew straight to America to join his new teammates.

Coming off the bench for Chelsea in their quarter-final clash against Palmeiras, Pedro impressed on his debut and was consequently handed a start against boyhood club Fluminense in the semifinal.

The 23-year-old made the most of his full debut, netting two thunderous strikes to send the Blues to the final, where they faced Paris Saint-Germain.

Pedro picked up from where he left off, scoring Chelsea’s third in the first half against PSG, which ultimately sealed a commanding victory for the Blues, making them world champions.

The acquisition of Delap and Pedro has undoubtedly made an instant impact for Chelsea so far, creating healthy competition that breeds improvement, something Jackson never really had during his first two seasons at the club.