Chelsea have only scored four goals in their last five Premier League games, three of those four goals being scored by Cole Palmer, the other being a freekick from club captain, Reece James.
Whilst Nicolas Jackson has started the season well, scoring nine goals and providing four assists in 21 games played, there have been dry spells (including this current five-game run) for the forward. Despite the brilliant all-round play the 23-year-old provides, he has still managed to miss some important chances this season, which in turn has cost the Blues on occasion.
This has led many fans to call for another striker option alongside Jackson, perhaps one that can offer something different from the bench. With the January window open, Chelsea’s directors could definitely achieve that this month.
Chelsea's striker search
According to reports from BILD, Chelsea are keen on Bayern Munich forward, Mathys Tel, and have already made contact with the player’s camp. On the other hand, Bayern Munich are interested in Chelsea’s Christopher Nkunku, which could cause a knock-on effect.
The 19-year-old can play as both a striker, but also as a winger (both sides), most commonly getting minutes as a left-winger for the German giants in his limited chances so far. Last campaign, Tel made 41 appearances under Thomas Tuchel, scoring ten goals, providing six assists and totalling 1,406 minutes played, with 24 of his 41 appearances coming from the left.
Tel has only made 12 appearances so far this campaign under new manager, Vincent Kompany, and is yet to provide a goal or assist in his 351 minutes played.
How Tel compares to Nicolas Jackson
As previously mentioned, Jackson started the season well, with Maresca taking a liking to the Senegal international for his on-ball qualities (aside from scoring goals), along with his off-ball movement and work rate to help the team in their overall play both in and out of possession.
Tel is an option who could play as that centre-forward for Chelsea, in a similar way to Jackson, dropping deep to play alongside Cole Palmer and Enzo Fernández in a pentagon-shaped midfield (with Moises Caicedo and one of their fullbacks inverting, usually at the base of midfield), but also making runs in behind and arriving in the box to finish chances.
Stats (per 90 mins)
Jackson
Tel
Goals
0.53
0.63
Assists
0.23
0.38
xG
0.63
0.34
xAG
0.15
0.25
Progressive Carries
2.22
4.06
Progressive Passes
1.40
2.56
Shots Total
3.33
3.75
Goals/Shot
0.16
0.17
Key Passes
1.11
1.20
Shot-Creating Actions
3.16
4.14
Aerial Duels Won
0.58
1.05
When you compare the metrics of Jackson and Tel (from last season, as it gives a better understanding with a better sample size of minutes played), you can see Tel actually ranks as slightly more clinical with 0.17 goals/shot ratio, compared to Jackson’s ratio of 0.16. This is also considering Tel has a slightly higher shot volume per 90, with 3.75 shots per 90 compared to Jackson’s 3.33.
Despite being slightly smaller (6 foot tall compared to Jackson who is 6 foot 1), the 19-year-old also wins more aerial duels than Jackson with 1.05 compared to his 0.58, which is an important metric to analyse when looking at alternative striker options for the Senegal international.
One area the Blues will know they can improve on, is ensuring they capitalise on their creative quality from the likes of Palmer, Pedro Neto, Jadon Sancho and Enzo Fernández, who can all provide brilliant crosses and long balls into the penalty area.
Having a striker who can add aerial prowess would give Maresca another attacking tool to utilise in his side, while potentially usurping Jackson in the near future.
Mykhailo Mudryk vs Mathys Tel comparison
But Tel isn’t just a striker option. As previously mentioned, he played more of his games for Bayern on the left under Tuchel, showing his versatility and how his skill set can translate into different zones on the pitch.
Comparisons such as Marcus Rashford and Cody Gakpo come to mind, with a taller framed winger, who can play as a centre-forward, using their instincts for a goal and physicality/athleticism to thrive.
Being right-footed, it allows Tel to cut inside and get his shots off on his stronger foot, something that has already become a trademark for him at such a young age with his excellent ball striking. Another example of this would be Kylian Mbappe, who has played as both a left-winger and a striker, but loves to cut inside from the left, often getting into his best shooting zones from that position.
Stats (per 90 mins)
Mudryk
Tel
Goals
0.32
0.63
Assists
0.16
0.38
xG
0.19
0.34
xAG
0.44
0.25
Progressive Carries
5.26
4.06
Progressive Passes
1.75
2.56
Shots Total
1.75
3.75
Key Passes
2.28
1.20
Passes into Pen Area
1.05
1.58
Shot-Creating Actions
3.68
4.14
Successful Take-Ons
1.58
3.61
One weak area for Tel as a winger, is his lack of range when it comes to crossing, often choosing to apply driven crosses into the box, rather than a variety of chipped/whipped attempts alongside them. This is similar with his key passes, often being similar compared to having a more creative range, especially when you consider how technically creative Tel is when dribbling and shooting.
Tel has been labelled an “absolute jewel” by Jacek Kulig, praising the youngster’s output at such a young age for Bayern. His mixture of pace and power allow him to be an outlet from the wing, whilst also having the quality to drift inside, link play and get a high volume of shots off, looking to be that goal-scoring winger type.
Whether Tel plays more as a striker or as a left-wing option, the 19-year-old’s addition would certainly equip Maresca with another option that is different from what they already have, allowing changes to be made to affect games sooner.
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