Why Chelsea Should Sign Javier Hernandez in the January Transfer Window

The season is barely a month old, yet debate around David Moyes' Manchester United team is already raging.

The absence of Shinji Kagawa in United's starting line-up has perplexed plenty of United fans and neutrals alike, while the club's dealings and strategy in the transfer window have been called into question.

It's certainly not the harmonious years we were used to under Sir Alex Ferguson, and if their rivals sniffed blood when the Scot retired last season, the current state of affairs at Old Trafford will mean the talk of weaknesses will only intensify.

Chelsea themselves have already tried to capitalize, testing Moyes' resolve with a very public and summer-long pursuit of Wayne Rooney.

In that regard, it's United 1-0 Chelsea, with Rooney remaining a United player.

The Blues should remain unperturbed, though. Rooney may still be playing for the champions, sure, but in Javier Hernandez their failure to land the Englishman could very well have a silver lining.

A hamstring injury has meant the Mexican ace has played just 17 minutes under his new manager. Following Danny Welbeck's bright start to the campaign in support of Robin van Persie and Rooney, it could very well be more than injury keeping Chicharito out of the line-up this season, also.

We're hearing it a lot where most players are concerned, but in a World Cup year the 25-year-old must surely be concerned about his opportunities.

Mexico are by no means guaranteed to make Brazil 2014. They sit fourth in qualification and their form hasn't been the best. Yet if they achieve their goal, they will need players such as Chicharito to be firing come June.

He's not going to achieve that sitting on the bench, fourth in line to a starting place at Old Trafford. Besides, he knows he is better than that.

Jose Mourinho and Chelsea thought they were onto a sure thing where Rooney is concerned. It's now the worst kept secret in football that Rooney was apparently unhappy and looking for a move, which left Mourinho expecting the transfer to happen one way or another.

It didn't, although it could be a lot different with Chicharito, a player who possesses different attributes to Rooney but remains as equally talented when it comes to finding the back of the net. His record of seven goals in three years against the Blues is the perfect reminder of that fact.

The bigger teams in England rarely trade indigenous talent to one of their rivals. It's a bizarre culture, but nothing gets supporters up in arms more than an Englishman leaving for a fellow Premier League team. It borders sacrilege in some cases.

Being Mexican, Hernandez will not be subjected to the vitriolic diatribes that normally follow. In terms of PR, it's less of a burden for United to allow a fourth choice striker to depart Old Trafford, too.

Hernandez would command a significantly less fee than some of the other options potentially on the market, but he still comes with Premier League pedigree.

He remains youthful, and with his blistering pace he could be the perfect foil to Chelsea's counter-attacking style, complementing those Mourinho currently has at his disposal.

Chelsea do need to strengthen in other areas of the pitch—true. But signing Hernandez in January would be good business ahead of the summer when an impressive World Cup will only see his price tag rise.

In 2010, Sir Alex got in there early, signing Chicharito for a bargain £6 million from Guadalajara before his stock hit the roof in similar circumstances in South Africa. Chelsea attempting to do the same would be equally impressive.

Garry Hayes is Bleacher Report's lead Chelsea correspondent and will be following the club from a London base throughout the 2013-14 season. Follow him on Twitter here @garryhayes