Assessing the Candidates to Be Chelsea's Next Striking Addition
Didier Drogba turned 37 this month.
The Ivorian remains a Chelsea legend, but given his age and reduced impact at Stamford Bridge, the big question hanging over Drogba now is whether or not he will call time on his career come the end of the season.
If he does, it means Jose Mourinho has a decision to make.
Does the Chelsea boss dip his toe in the transfer market for Drogba's replacement? Or does he promote a youngster from within the Chelsea junior ranks to make up the numbers up front?
The important thing for Mourinho at this stage is that he has options.
Chelsea's loan players have been making headlines for all the right reasons, while the Blues are reportedly tracking some exciting goalscorers.
With all this in mind, Bleacher Report takes a closer look at the Chelsea players who could benefit from Drogba's potential retirement and some of those linked with transfers to the club.
Patrick Bamford
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Age: 21
Current club: Middlesbrough (on loan from Chelsea)
2014/15 appearances: 35
2014/15 goals: 16
Is this summer the year when Patrick Bamford finally makes his breakthrough at Chelsea?
The 21-year-old was signed from Nottingham Forest in January 2012 but is yet to make a first-team appearance for the Blues.
Bamford featured heavily in pre-season for Jose Mourinho last year, although the return of more senior stars after the World Cup meant his best hope of first-team action was a loan move.
He soon joined Middlesbrough and has made the most of his time in the north-east, scoring 16 goals already this season.
What Bamford has shown at Boro is that he's capable of living with the expectation that has been thrust upon him.
Given his previous loan spells with MK Dons and Derby County, Bamford has been receiving plenty of attention from Chelsea supporters and the media.
His progress has been tracked and the reports have been encouraging.
Bamford's experience fits Chelsea well. He's not in a position to be commanding a first-team starting position every week, but as a third choice, he is young enough and willing to continue his progress with a limited role at Stamford Bridge.
He's an exciting prospect who can strengthen Chelsea's firepower, complementing the squad's dynamic.
Best of all, he'll come at no cost to Mourinho. That means any funds in the transfer kitty can be directed elsewhere.
Mauro Icardi
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Age: 22
Current club: Inter Milan
2014/15 appearances: 26
2014/15 goals: 15
Mauro Icardi is a player who has made plenty of headlines in the past 12 months or so.
They've been mainly for issues in his personal life, but the Argentinian striker has also been heavily linked with a move to Chelsea.
The latest reports of Chelsea's interest came just last month in the Evening Standard, when Jose Mourinho was reportedly planning to take advantage of Icardi's ongoing contract extension negotiations with Inter Milan.
The report explained that Inter and the player have reached an impasse over his salary demands, with Icardi demanding much more than the Serie A giants are willing to offer.
He joined the club for £9 million from Sampdoria just two years ago, and with another three years remaining on his current deal at the San Siro, Inter are in a position to demand a fee considerably more than they paid for him.
Regardless of the transfer fee, the concern with Icardi is how he'd fit into this Chelsea team.
Diego Costa is the Premier League's leading goalscorer and, with it, Chelsea's outstanding striker.
The Spanish international starts most games, leaving Loic Remy and Didier Drogba to scrap for any other opportunities that come their way.
Looking ahead to next season, will Icardi be willing to swap first-team football with Inter to fight a losing battle against Costa?
At this stage of his career, he'll be looking to make the step up to be first choice at a bigger club than Inter.
Chelsea fit the billing in terms of profile, but so far as a footballing choice, Icardi would be disappointed.
Dominic Solanke
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Age: 17
Current club: Chelsea
2014/15 appearances (youth team): 28
2014/15 goals (youth team): 31
Dominic Solanke is among a growing group of academy players who are beginning to make big noises at Stamford Bridge.
His goalscoring record for the youth teams this season is nothing short of incredible, scoring 31 goals in 28 games.
Such is the talent of Solanke that he was playing FA Youth Cup football well ahead of his time last season when he was still only 16 years old.
Despite being one of the youngest players in the competition, he still scored twice in the final to defeat Fulham.
This year has seen him promoted to the under-21s, but the goals have continued to flow.
He still features in Youth Cup games, too, scoring a brace against Tottenham Hotspur this week to help Chelsea reach their fifth final in six years.
Solanke is a player with a bright future ahead of him, but being promoted to third-choice this summer will be too early.
He made his Chelsea debut in the Champions League, yet his late appearance against Maribor highlighted where he is in his career right now.
Solanke is a raw talent and he shouldn't be rushed into the rigours of first-team football just yet.
Chelsea don't need to rush him, either.
He'll benefit from a couple more years in the junior ranks, and his coaches are all too aware of that.
The club are managing his career perfectly, so it will be a couple more years before we see him as a regular in Jose Mourinho's squads.
Watch this space, though. Solanke has everything to become a Chelsea star of the future.
Enner Valencia
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Age: 25
Current club: West Ham United
2014/15 appearances: 30
2014/15 goals: 5
Enner Valencia is one of those players who earned himself a big-money move on the back of an impressive World Cup.
The forward was one of the success stories for Ecuador at Brazil 2014, and West Ham United wasted little time in bringing him to the Premier League for a reported £12 million.
It seems money well spent, too, as Valencia has made a considerable impact at Upton Park.
Indeed, he made a big contribution in the first half of the campaign as the Hammers threatened to go the distance in challenging for European qualification.
Their form has tailed off recently, but Valencia has remained an influential figure.
He uses his pace effectively and stretches teams on the counter—something Chelsea have lacked at times this term, which is why Valencia was reportedly a Chelsea target in January according to The Telegraph.
The concern with Valencia would be his goal return. He isn't prolific enough, with just five goals in 30 appearances this season.
Then there is the issue of his transfer fee, with West Ham expected to demand more than the £12 million they paid for him.
Should Didier Drogba retire from playing, Chelsea will be looking for a third-choice striker. Do they want to be paying a big fee for a player who will be back-up to Loic Remy and Diego Costa?
The club are shrewder than that these days.
*All stats from Soccerbase.com, Squawka and Chelsea FC
Garry Hayes is Bleacher Report's lead Chelsea correspondent. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter @garryhayes
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