World class strike quartet on Chelsea radar

Sources are suggesting that a big name striker could soon be on their way to Stamford Bridge as speculation heats up in what is usually a slow period for transfers.



The players in question have all been linked with moves away from their current clubs after successful 2010-11 campaigns leading many of Europe’s elite to chase their signatures.



Gonzalo Higuain, Roberto Soldado, Hulk and Edinson Cavani racked up an insurmountable 104 goals between them last season and while the latter two players ma have contributed considerably more to the tally, an average of 26 goals each is tremendously impressive.



As mentioned above, January is generally a far more difficult period to the prise a player away from their club, especially one as high in profile as the four players in question, but last year proved that times might be changing.



The big money moves of Andy Carroll and Fernando Torres in particular turned the usual formula on its head, however Andre Villas Boas will be hoping for more success from any signings he makes this month following the ‘flop’ performances of Torres so far in his Chelsea career.



The Blues forked out £50m for the Spaniard and while none of the four will be expected to cost quite that much, any transfer will cost Roman Abramovich in excess of £25m.



Hulk could be the most costly of the lot and while Andre Villas Boas probably won’t be paying the £84m buyout clause of the Brazilian star, he may still make a considerable offer £35m upwards to link back up with his former charge who scored 36 goals last season.



Descending in value, Cavani’s signature would be next on the price list and would also be expected to cost around £35m after the Napoli attacker netted a more than respectable 33 times last campaign.



An extra twist in Cavani’s future is also what links the Blues to Higuain as Real Madrid also show an interest in signing the Uruguayan.



It’s believed that if the Spanish side were to capture Cavani, they may reach an agreement to sell £30m-Higuain to the Blues as the Argentine star is also attracting the attention of Andre Villas Boas.



Soldado is a surprise addition to the shortlist, but after scoring 18 goals in 24 appearances for Valencia in the 2011-12 term, the Spaniard is a target for many of Europe’s top clubs ahead of Euro 2012.



Chelsea are desperate to tie down a new striker after the departure of Nicolas Anelka to China with Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou likely to also depart swiftly.



Financial Fair Play could be playing its part on the mind of Roman Abramovich as the Russian looks to cut down spending ahead of next season, however a January dip into the transfer window could be necessary if they are to remain in the competition for a Champions League spot.