At 31 years of age, Gonzalo Higuain is moving to the Premier League a little late. However, in Chelsea and Maurizio Sarri, he could have found a perfect match.
Gonzalo Higuain completed his loan transfer to Chelsea on Wednesday, cutting short his loan spell with A.C Milan.
A casualty of the Cristiano Ronaldo transfer, Gonzalo Higuain will now spend the entire season on loan.
Scepticism abounds, as his spell with A.C Milan was disappointing. Higuain only mustered 8 goals in 22 appearances with the Milan club.
With Chelsea in desperate need of a striker and Higuain’s career faltering, it seems like a stop gap solution.
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However, it can’t be forgotten that Higuain is a top class forward. He helps build up the play as well as finish chances.
He has scored 24, 29 and 26 goals in his three best years at a Real Madrid side with Cristiano Ronaldo in it. Then in three years in Napoli, under Sarri, he scored 24, 29 and 38 goals respectively.
In two seasons at Juventus, he scored 32 and 23 goals. It his his best season at Napoli, the 38 goals, that cannot be ignored.
He was playing under a manager in Sarri who trusted him completely. This is a vital point when it comes to Higuain, a sensitive character by all accounts. His constant media insistence that he doesn’t care what people think of him perhaps belies the truth.
Higuain wants to be the guy who everyone counts on. It is no surprise then, that he left Juventus shortly after Ronaldo’s arrival. Clearly, he didn’t relish the idea of sacrificing his game to Ronaldo for a second time in his career.
His indifferent form for A.C Milan could also be explained by the fact that he felt pushed out and dejected.
Returning to play for a manager who got his best years out of him could be a fantastic solution. It also solves a pressing need for Chelsea, who need a top quality striker.
Higuain playing up front could free Eden Hazard to play his preferred position on the left. Seeing those two on the team sheet will be a frightening prospect for Premier League defenses.
Higuain is 10/1 with Bet365 to score double figures for Chelsea in the remainder of the season.
