Chelsea Transfer News: Harry Kane, Antoine Griezmann, Jamie Vardy, Top Rumours

Chelsea’s reported hunt for a new centre-forward will see them pursue Tottenham's Harry Kane and Atletico Madrid star Antoine Griezmann next summer, but Leicester City's Jamie Vardy is viewed as a potential January option to add some immediate relief to their goalscoring issues.

According to Matt Barlow of the Daily Mail, while manager Jose Mourinho is willing to lend his backing to Chelsea’s current starting striker Diego Costa, other key figures at the club feel the Blues need more depth in attacking positions.

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“Chelsea had not been planning a mid-season move for a centre forward, preferring to pursue long-term targets in the summer, which include Harry Kane of Tottenham and Antoine Griezmann of Atletico Madrid,” writes Barlow.

Here’s a look at how Kane, Griezmann, Vardy and Costa have all fared in direct statistical comparison so far this season in their respective league matches:

	Kane	Griezmann	Vardy	Costa
Apps (sub)	13	12	13	11
Goals	8	5	13	3
Assists	0	2	1	1
Shots per game	4	2.6	4.2	2.1
Key passes per game	1.1	1.9	1.4	1.2
Dribbles per game	1.5	1.2	1	1.4
Aerial duels won per game	2	1.8	3.2	1.3

Of the trio of potential targets mentioned, the safest bet would be Kane. The Spurs man has quashed his reputation as a one-season wonder in recent weeks, rediscovering the edge in front of goal which made him such a regular scorer last term.

For Chelsea, getting a player who is proven in the Premier League would be a major boost.

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As we can see here courtesy of OptaJoe, not only is Kane a regular goalscorer, he’s a player who leads by example with his superb work rate:

Spurs would be tough negotiators, though, especially given Kane signed a new deal at White Hart Lane earlier in the year, and they would be unwilling to deal with a London rival. So that means the Blues may have to turn their attentions elsewhere, but that's not to say Griezmann would be a poor alternative.

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The path from the Vicente Calderon to Stamford Bridge is one well trodden in recent years, with Thibaut Courtois, Filipe Luis and Costa each playing for both sides. The French international striker was drafted in by Atletico to help fill the void which the latter left when joining the Blues and, after an excellent debut campaign, Griezmann has made further improvements this season.

As is the case with Kane, although the Atletico man is sharp in front of goal, there is much more to his game than sticking the ball in the back of the net, per Squawka Football:

Getting Griezmann to Stamford Bridge may be difficult for the Blues, though. Atletico have shown major ambition in the previous summer transfer window, spending a lot of money to try and stay in touch with sides like Barcelona and Real Madrid; selling their prized asset now would undo a lot of that good work.

Vardy may be the most realistic option for the Blues, all things considered.

According to Barlow, the Foxes would be happy to let the 28-year-old leave the club for a side in the Champions League provided they get the right offer, although Mourinho is apparently “not keen” on the prospect of bringing in the England international.

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West Bromwich Albion's Saido Berahino is also noted as a potential mid-season target for the champions.

Vardy's recent form has been sensational, scoring in 10 consecutive Premier League games and notching 13 for the season as a whole.

Once again, as BBC Sport’s Guy Mowbray notes, he’s a striker who has plenty of strings to his bow:

Vardy is enjoying a fabulous purple patch but whether he can preserve these standards for the remainder of the campaign will be a truer reflection of his talent. Therefore, Chelsea may be hesitant about potentially spending big in January to bring him in, although there’s no denying he’d add some overdue endeavour to their attack.

Whether Chelsea are in a position to pursue the likes Kane and Griezmann will be determined by their work for the remainder of the season.

Both players will be difficult to capture for aforementioned reasons, meaning it’s vital the Blues recover from their moribund start to the campaign and at least ensure they can offer Champions League football.