It has been all change for Chelsea Football Club this summer, after a season in which they lost one cup final, came close to another, and managed to qualify for European football again next season via their placement in the league. However, it was not enough to keep Mauricio Pochettino in the job.
Following his sacking at the end of May, the Blues board turned their attention to finding a new manager to take them into the 2024/25 season, and hopefully beyond. Their choice was Leicester City manager Enzo Maresca, who led the Foxes back to the top flight by winning the Championship.
Maresca, who is a student of Pep Guardiola, will have a big task on his hands to improve Chelsea’s cup fortune; they lost the Carabao Cup final to Liverpool last season and the FA Cup semi-final to Manchester City. The Italian will also be expected to challenge for the top four and improve upon the Blues sixth place finish, as well as winning the Europa Conference League.
To do that, Chelsea will likely have to dip into the transfer market this summer. They have already been linked with one player who could add more threat to their attack next season.
Chelsea's search for striker
The player in question here is Portuguese side FC Porto’s Brazilian striker Evanilson. After a successful season leading the line at Estádio do Dragão, the 24-year-old Brazil international has now been linked with a move away from the Portuguese giants during the summer window.
Indeed, that is according to a report from Portuguese newspaper Jornal De Noticias earlier this week, who believe that Chelsea are interested in signing the striker, who has one cap for Brazil so far. The Blues are thought to be targeting a new striker to help balance the workload of Nicolas Jackson, after a chaotic first season in the Premier League for the Senegalese marksman.
Chelsea have been heavily linked with Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran in recent weeks as they look to bolster their attacking options. As reported by The Guardian on Friday, they have been given permission by the Villans to talk to Duran, although are 'unsure over whether to press ahead with a move' for the £40m rated centre-forward.
Thus, Evanilson has given Chelsea an alternative option to Duran. However, the Brazilian could command a larger fee than Villa’s number 24. In a separate report by Jornal De Noticias, they report he has a release clause worth £84m, with Manchester United and Tottenham also interested.
How Evanilson compares to Duran and Jackson
Football analyst Ben Mattinson described Evanilson as the “dangerman” ahead of Arsenal’s Champions League clash with Porto earlier in 2024, noting that he is an “all-rounder” number nine who is “everywhere” on the pitch.
Last season, he certainly showed just how dangerous he can be, scoring 25 goals and registering seven assists in 42 games for Porto in all competitions, a tally which included four in seven Champions League games and 13 in the top flight of Portugal.
In comparison, Duran has scored five goals in just 23 Premier League matches. However, he played the equivalent of just over five matches, meaning his goals-per-game ratio averages put at roughly one goal each game. Jackson scored 14 goals in 35 Premier League games, and his 17 in all competitions was bettered by only Cole Palmer, who bagged 22 goals.
Another interesting stat to look at in order to compare the trio is their expected goals per 90 minutes. According to FBref, Jackson just edges it, with 0.6xG, compared to 0.56xG for Evanilson and the Villa striker notching up just 0.38xG. However, the numbers are in Duran’s favour when it comes to the number of goals per shot. He averages 0.25 per 90, with Jackson second with 0.18 and Evanilson in third, with 0.16.
Stat
Evanilson
Duran
Jackson
Games
27
23
35
90s
22.8
5.3
31.1
Goals
13
5
14
xG per 90
0.56xG
0.38
0.6
Goals per shot per 90
0.16
0.25
0.18
However, as Mattinson pointed out, Evanilson’s creativity and link-up play are a feature of his game, which helps him stand out amongst the trio. He averages 2.37 progressive passes per 90, with 1.27 key passes on top of that. Comparatively, Jackson averages 2.15 progressive passes and 1.22 key passes, with Duran’s stats considerably lower; the Villa man averages just 1.70 key passes and 0.75 key passes per 90 minutes.
If Chelsea are looking for a profile to complement Jackson, then perhaps Evanilson is that. The Brazilian is a superb link player and is also capable of running the channels, whilst, as the stats show, being a very clinical finisher.
The price for Evanilson is quite a lot of money, likely a sizeable amount of Chelsea’s budget. With that being said, he could be an excellent addition to the Blues’ side, and would bring something they have desperately missed on the whole; goals.
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