Chelsea Transfer News: Latest on Christian Benteke and Radamel Falcao Rumours

Chelsea are in the hunt for a new striker this summer, and they appear to have identified Christian Benteke and Radamel Falcao as possible targets.

According to John Richardson of the Express, Benteke is wanted by Jose Mourinho to replace Didier Drogba.

The striker struggled for form and fitness after a serious Achilles injury, but as Opta tracked, the Belgian has enjoyed a remarkable turnaround in form under Tim Sherwood:

Though the Blues can boast Diego Costa as their star front man, a new striker is definitely needed to add strength in depth, particularly due to Costa's frequent struggles with injury, which restricted him to 24 league starts this season.

Benteke's revival under Sherwood has shown that he is well on his way back to becoming the striker that captured the eye when he first burst onto the scene, and he managed a total of 15 goals in all competitions.

Kirsty Wigglesworth/Associated Press

The powerful forward would make an able and prolific alternative to Costa, and he would no doubt benefit from the exceptional service that Eden Hazard and Cesc Fabregas provide week-in, week-out.

As WhoScored.com revealed, via ESPN FC, Benteke is an incredibly efficient goalscorer, with his shot accuracy and conversion stats comparable with the other top goalscorers in Europe:

Benteke's £32.5 million release clause could prove a stumbling block for the Blues, so expect negotiations to last for the majority of the summer.

Richardson also reports, per the above article, that Mourinho is considering a loan move for Falcao, who has returned to Monaco from Manchester United.

After scoring just four goals for United, Chelsea's interest is somewhat surprising, particularly given his cost to the Red Devils, per Football Tweet:

The 29-year-old's goalscoring return has been in decline for the last two years after a severe anterior cruciate ligament injury.

As Rob Dawson of the Manchester Evening News noted, Falcao's move to United was unsuccessful:

However, the points return he offered to the Red Devils based on his four goals is remarkable, which could reveal Mourinho's thinking behind the move.

With Arsenal, United and Manchester City all set to strengthen in the summer, next season's race for the title could be a far tighter affair than this year.

If Falcao can return a similar number of points for Chelsea, it could make the difference for the Blues in securing the Premier League.

However, with his reported £265,000-per-week pay packet, any move back to the Premier League is unlikely to occur unless the Colombian is willing to take a significant pay cut or Monaco are willing to contribute to his wages.

Barring a reduction in the costs involved for any prospective team, Falcao ultimately isn't worth the investment in his current state, so don't expect to see him plying his trade at Stamford Bridge next year.