Chelsea Transfer Alternatives to Wayne Rooney

As the start of the 2013-14 season looms large on the horizon, Jack De Menezes of The Independent reports that Chelsea have had a second bid rejected for unsettled Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney. Despite Jose Mourinho’s assertion that Rooney is his only remaining transfer target this summer, the Blues will need to have a solid plan B in case a deal cannot be reached.

Their preseason tour of Asia and the USA has shown that the strikeforce does need bolstering. Romelu Lukaku scored four goals in three games on the Asian leg of the tour and looks to be about ready for first-team action next season. His finishing and positioning still need some work, though.

Meanwhile, with Fernando Torres yet to show the benefit of the Mourinho effect and Demba Ba expected to do little more than warm the bench, it is clear that an established goalscorer needs to be found quickly.

The following players represent good alternatives for the Blues should they fail in their endeavours to prise Rooney away from United. 

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is one of the best goalscorers in the world right now. Although he is 31 years old, his style of play means that he still has at least two years left at the top of his game. With 33 goals in 42 appearances last season for Paris Saint-Germain, the 6'3" striker should be looking to better his tally in the city of love for another year.

However, Goal.com has reported that the arrival of hotshot Uruguayan Edinson Cavani has deepened an existing rift between Ibrahimovic and PSG, and the giant Swede is now looking for a new club to foot his £11 million-a-year wage bill.

Chelsea certainly have the financial resources to do this, but with the Parisians likely to command a fee in excess of £50 million, it is likely that the Blues will continue to look elsewhere. 

Samuel Eto’o

Along with every last one of his teammates, Samuel Eto'o has been listed for transfer by Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala. The 32-year-old would bring some much-needed experience, and confidence, into the Blues attack. Anzhi would also be likely to accept a relatively low transfer fee for him.

However, with his wages currently set at a jaw-dropping £350,000 per week, he would need to take a drastic pay cut to avoid resentment from the rest of the Chelsea squad.

Although he is unlikely to want to take this financial hit at the tail end of his career, the chance to reunite with Mourinho and compete in the Champions League again could yet sway him toward London.

Lacina Traore

Lacina Traore is another Anzhi Makhachkala player who could be moving on this summer. At 6’8” and built like the proverbial outhouse, Traore would put the frighteners on every defender in the Premier League—Nemanja Vidic included.

Essentially a bigger, stronger Didier Drogba, the 23-year-old Traore is exactly the sort of striker that Mourinho likes to work with. His youth and inexperience will work against him in this case, as Chelsea are looking for a proven goalscorer. However, if the price is right, a deal could still be done before September 2. 

Fabio Quagliarella

Juventus are another team looking to offload some players, as the arrivals of Carlos Tevez and Fernando Llorente sees them with six strikers on their books.

With 11 goals from 17 starts last season, 30-year-old Fabio Quagliarella could represent the best value-for-money option for the Blues if Rooney’s signature eludes them. 

Robert Lewandowski

Borussia Dortmund striker Robert Lewandowski was convinced, along with the rest of the football world, that he was on his way to Bayern Munich this summer. However, Dortmund have refused to let the striker move to the team that beat them in the Champions League final.

BVB have decided that there is more to be lost than gained by selling him to their rivals. This makes sound footballing sense, but they also risk losing him to the same club next summer with no financial compensation.

Whether their resolve will be as strong should a bid come in from a non-Bundesliga side is yet to be tested, leaving the door open for Chelsea to table a bid before the end of the transfer window.