5 Potential Replacements for Fernando Torres at Chelsea

Fernando Torres is seemingly living on borrowed time at Chelsea, and the Blues are sure to be thinking of possible replacements.

The Spanish forward has been out of form since his move from Liverpool midway through the 2010/11 season.

It wasn't until this January window that Chelsea went some way to providing him competition in the form of Demba Ba. 

That move hasn't exactly lit a fire under Torres, as Ba himself has failed to fully fire like he did at Newcastle.

With the club heading toward the end of a mostly disappointing season, it's clear the forward position will need some revamping ahead of next year.

Here are five possible replacements for Fernando Torres.

*Unless otherwise stated, all statistics courtesy of ESPN FC.

Radamel Falcao

Radamel Falcao is the forward who has been most linked with a move to Chelsea despite competition from the likes of Manchester City (via the Metro).

According to the Mirror, Chelsea was considering a swap deal of Falcao for Fernando Torres with Atletico Madrid in February.

Falcao's form since his arrival in Europe—which was, interestingly enough, one season before Torres' decline began—has been fantastic.

The Colombian striker has been a consistent scorer in Europe and domestically, first in Portugal and now in Spain.

He has 30 goals in 34 games this season in all competitions for Atletico Madrid.

With all the creativity in the Chelsea squad, Falcao would certainly get his fair share of chances to score goals. His track record shows he'll have no problem putting those chances away. 

Romelu Lukaku

Chelsea fans will be highly disgruntled if Romelu Lukaku doesn't get a chance to feature significantly for the club next season.

The 19-year-old Belgian striker joined the club at the start of the 2011/12 season and struggled mightily for playing time.

He's out on loan this season at West Bromwich Albion, and that has given him a chance to show his talents on a consistent basis.

Lukaku has 13 goals and two assists in 29 games this season, while sharing playing time with Shane Long up front.

That's six more goals than Fernando Torres in fewer games, and two fewer than Demba Ba, who's played for twice as many teams and was a focal point in one.

Lukaku has the strength, pace and finishing to be a threat in each game for Chelsea, and it wouldn't hurt to team him with compatriot Eden Hazard.

If there's ever a replacement for Didier Drogba, it would be Lukaku.

Mario Gomez

Chelsea has been linked with a move for German striker Mario Gomez (via the Express).

The Bayern Munich forward has found playing time hard to come by this season, since the signing of Mario Mandzukic.

He still has a solid return of 13 goals in 24 games in all competitions, with a number of those appearances coming from the substitutes bench.

Gomez has been a consistent scorer in the Bundesliga as well as Europe these past few seasons, and is starting to find the net more regularly at the international level.

He's another player in the poacher category on this list who would definitely help alleviate the Blues' striking troubles. 

Gonzalo Higuain

Gonzalo Higuain was a rumoured summer target for Chelsea last year, and was also considered as a January transfer target this season (via Daily Mail).

Like the majority of players on this list, Gonzalo Higuain is near or entering his prime and has a history of goal-scoring that will appeal to the Blues.

Higuain has been at Real Madrid since the 2006/07 season and, while he's had to share playing time with Karim Benzema in recent seasons, he's still banged in the goals when fit.

Higuain's 13 goals and five assists in 22 La Liga games this season shows he can both score and create goals.

The Blues won't need him for the assists, but his clever movement off the ball will put him in position to receive plenty of chances for the club.

Christian Benteke

According to the Daily Star, Chelsea are one of a few clubs interested in signing Christian Benteke this summer.

The Aston Villa forward has taken the Premier League by storm in his debut season, but may be tempted to move if Villa is relegated.

Like his Belgian compatriot Romelu Lukaku, Benteke's style of play makes him a similar type of player to Didier Drogba.  

Benteke may not have the same background as others on this list; neither does Lukaku. What they do have is experience in the Premier League, as well as youth.

Benteke has scored 19 goals and added eight assists in 35 games for Villa this season.