January Transfer Talk: Higuain to Chelsea, Arnautovic to China?

January Transfer Talk: Higuain to Chelsea, Arnautovic to China?

Maurizio Sarri’s quest for a striker that can score more than 6 goals in a season seems to have come to an end, with the Chelsea manager finally settling on a man who has scored 6 goals this season. A popular stat doing the rounds on social media is that imminent Chelsea signing Gonzalo Higuain has somehow scored less than flop Alvaro Morata in 2018-19, who hasn’t exactly had the most stellar of seasons in front of goal. While the Argentinian would undoubtedly be a big-name signing, to sign a 31-year-old who hasn’t performed at the top level since 2016 seems bizarre. Evidently Morata and Giroud have not been good enough for a Champions League-chasing club, and a replacement is clearly needed, but I find it hard to believe that Higuain is the answer considering no-one else seems to want him. Following the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo, Juventus looked to get shot of the striker they had spent £75m on only 2 years previously, offering him to a range of Italian clubs. Only Milan were willing to take him, and now just 5 months into his loan spell they’re prepared to give him back for nothing. Obviously Higuain was once a world-class striker, and there’s no better place for him to re-discover his form than under Sarri, who was manager during his successful spell at Napoli. His arrival would at least free Eden Hazard from the role of false nine which he apparently detests, and Chelsea fans will be hoping he isn’t just an older, slower version of Morata like last season’s marquee January signing Olivier Giroud turned out to be.

                                                                       

Another big-name frontman reportedly on the move is Marko Arnautovic, but in very different circumstances. China have come calling, and despite the greatest efforts of all involved at West Ham, the Austrian seems likely to follow the money and wave goodbye to a successful career in the Premier League. While it is hard to criticise someone for being attracted by the prospect of earning £200 000 a week, it is disappointing news not just for West Ham fans, but football fans as well. After a slow start at the Hammers, the arrival of David Moyes and the decision to move Arnautovic to a more central role have transformed the former winger into a prolific striker capable of terrorising defences with his strength and prowess in front of goal. The former Stoke man had even begun to be linked with big-money moves to Man United or Chelsea before West Ham received a £35m bid from a currently anonymous Chinese club. Ultimately, it sets a dangerous precedent for other Premier League stars approaching their peak to throw away any possibility of achieving the dreams they set out to achieve as young footballer, and all too readily exchange it for the riches but also the obscurity of the insanely wealthy Chinese Super League.