£25m David bid, Lukaku sold, Guirassy hope, Duran dilemma - Chelsea next striker transfer decided

Only just over two weeks into the transfer window and Chelsea have already been strongly linked with a cool nine strikers. Just the nine.

Jhon Duran, for the second time in six months, looked to be on his way to Stamford Bridge after talks were held and a £40million (ish) price tag was floated with Aston Villa. Shortly after it was Atletico Madrid's Samu Omorodion, but Diego Simeone's side aren't keen to let him go.

The latest name is Lille's Jonathan David. He represents a potential cheaper option due to his contract expiring in just 12 months and the fact that club president Olivier Letang has already admitted that he is free to leave. Talks with his representatives have also been had.

Then in the background, there was Benjamin Sesko - who quickly became a no-go before the window even properly got underway - and Serhou Guirassy. The latter is another player available for less but Borussia Dortmund appear to be leading the race for him.

The two Victors (or Viktors) - Osimhen and Gyokeres - are expensive and big names that won't go away. Both have been more heavily linked with Arsenal than Chelsea due to their price and age. Dominic Solanke is another for more money - around £65million with his new release clause - and Hoffenheim's Maximilian Beier is an outsider suggested recently too.

All the while Armando Broja is still at the club - though not for long, one expects - and Nicolas Jackson is coming off the back of an impressive debut season in England. Christopher Nkunku will be planning to make a splash and to remain fit throughout his second year in the Premier League, and Enzo Maresca has to get to grips with it all.

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So who will Chelsea's latest No.9 be? One of the nine listed or an even further afield outsider like Tammy Abraham or Dominic Calvert-Lewin - both have tenuously been mentioned with the Blues as well. Romelu Lukaku, who was up to his tricks again on Saturday for Belgium at Euro 2024, is also still contracted by Chelsea and enters the final year of his own deal.

Here, football.london writers take a look at the centre forward spot and who might be arriving in the coming months at Chelsea.

Tom Coley

David seems almost too sensible for Chelsea. He is unremarkable despite his good numbers. Here is a player good at a lot of things but not amazing at any. His profile is similar to that of Jackson but slightly older.

For the price he represents minimal risk, even if the rewards and possible ceiling isn't as high. He's experienced and with a proven track record in Europe and seems like a solid backup/rotation player. The real question is whether or not this is what Chelsea as a club, and the fans, actually want.

David is not as flashy as, say, Sesko or Osimhen. He's not got the raw ingredients of Duran, but he is possibly the safer choice here. That is fine. It won't excite many, but that is because Chelsea are not a team to buy players at their peak anymore.

What is the resale value in Solanke or Gyokeres for the fees that would be needed to sign them? That is more of a risk than David at a cut price with a reported £25million wanted by Lille. Lukaku finally going would fund this deal alone anyway.

Duran is the rogue option here. He has plenty to offer but hasn't had the chance so far to show it. He is almost a throwback striker, someone who shoots on sight, and harries defenders. The potential reward with him is as high as anyone. The issue is that it might not be what Chelsea want.

Tom Canton

Of all the names linked to Chelsea at centre-forward that might realistically arrive, David certainly stands out as the most sensible profile that you can make much more sense of. Duran felt like an expensive option for little if any improvement in the position.

Omorodion again another young option for a side needing to show progression up the league table. Chelsea need guaranteed quality and if they’re going to spend big money on players then Jackson should be a benchmark that the Blues aim to considerably improve upon.

The former Villarreal forward had a decent season but considering Kai Havertz was allowed to leave and have the subsequent success he has gone on to showcase at Arsenal, it has been tricky to wrap my head around the club’s decision-making there. Transfers continue to be puzzling in West London from an outside perspective, and trying to put myself into the shoes of Chelsea supporters gives me only a sense of confusion.

Less risk, less inexperience and more quality. A simple strategy but certainly one that London rivals Arsenal have benefitted greatly from.

Isaac Seelochan

Of all the players in various positions being linked to Chelsea, ultimately a new striker is what could take the Blues to the next level. Jackson lacks a killer instinct in front of goal and is unlikely to get Maresca's side back into the Champions League.

Duran and David are two of the names most commonly linked after Sesko opted to stay at RB Leipzig. Victor Osimhen has also regularly been mentioned, but his huge £112million release clause is likely to put a lot of clubs off, particularly when considering the Premier League's PSR rules.

One left-field option, if they can stump up the money, could be Stuttgart's Guirassy. 30 goals in all competitions last season is an excellent return rate, although convincing the 28-year-old to leave a Champions League club will be difficult.

Joe Doyle

David is an interesting option. He's looked bound to leave Lille for the last two years, with links to a number of Premier League clubs. With just one year remaining on his contract, it's probably the right time for him to move on.

I think the only thing I would question is whether he's enough of a step up on what they already have in the forward department with Jackson and Nkunku - with Nkunku more of a No.10, admittedly.

If they can get him firing, he could be a good addition to the team at a reasonable price - a good bit of business to add some depth to the squad. Given his record in Europe, I think he's probably a more reliable source of goals than Jackson next summer, and certainly more tested than Duran or Omodorion.

Who knows? Maybe sell a few more academy players next year and they could bring in an undisputed No.9

Kieran Horn

Chelsea have identified David as yet another possible striker transfer following talks with Omorodion and Duran. It seems inevitable that Enzo Maresca welcomes a new addition in attack but exactly who comes in is unknown. Considering how the Blues signed Jackson, it is likely that is repeated with a young and promising striker brought in.

As David will turn 25 in the 2024/25 season, that move just about fits into Chelsea's transfer methods with Duran and Omorodion far better suited. However, concerns over both of those players, for very different reasons, means a deal for either won't go through.

Instead Chelsea should fully turn their attention to 21-year-old Beier of Hoffenheim. The Germany international is already of interest to the Blues after he scored 16 Bundesliga goals last season with a similar hot streak to the one Jackson went on before his eventual move to Stamford Bridge.