Ever since Thomas Tuchel took charge of Chelsea in 2021, the discussion surrounding their profligate finishing has been virtually non-stop. Timo Werner and Kai Havertz proved ineffective, Romelu Lukaku’s homecoming was a catastrophe, and other strikers, like Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Armando Broja never got out of first gear in their time at the club.

However, this season something seems to have finally clicked at Stamford Bridge. Top scorers in the Premier League and the Conference League, Chelsea’s attack has been purring since their opening day defeat to Manchester City.

However, rumours continue to circulate that the Blue’s are looking to bolster their attack either in January or in the summer transfer window, with various sources citing that they are looking closely at potent goalscorers such as Viktor Gyokeres, Victor Osimhen and Jhon Duran.

But is it a position they actually need to address? For such a young side, their goal scoring record this season is nothing short of sensational, and with so many of their players still yet to reach their full potential, it may prove more effective to leave the front line untouched, to see how things progress.

Let's take a closer look …

How are Chelsea strikers doing this season?

Chelsea currently have three recognised strikers on the books for the 2024/25 season, all of whom have signed in the last two years: Guaranteed League starter Nicolas Jackson, top scorer Christopher Nkunku, and exciting Barcelona product Marc Guiu.

Nicolas Jackson leads the pack in terms of league goals with nine, while Nkunku has netted the most in all competitions with 12, 10 of which have come in domestic and European cup competition. And 18-year-old Marc Guiu has recently entered a rich vein of form, converting five times in his last two appearances.

Across the Premier League, Conference, League and EFL Cup, Chelsea have scored a remarkable 71 goals in total, coming in just 26 games, making them the most dangerous side in English football at the moment.

To add to their prolific strikers, Chelsea’s backup scoring acts are equally strong. The ever-improving Cole Palmer has 11 league goals this season, while Noni Madueke and Joao Felix have five a piece, and even the midfield is chipping in effectively, with Enzo Fernandez bagging 3, while Pedro Neto, Jadon Sancho and the temporarily suspended Mykailo Mudryk each chip in with their fair share.

While they may have failed to score for just the second time in the league this season with their goalless draw to Everton at the weekend, the blustery weather limited openings for both sides, and Everton had also managed a clean sheet against a dominant Arsenal in their previous fixture. All in all, it was one of the less disappointing goalless results they could have got.

So what is different this season compared to previous seasons? Why have they suddenly found a cutting edge? Have they finally learned how to consistently finish opportunities? Or is it a case of creating a host of chances until one finally goes in?

How does their Goal Scoring Compare to Last Season?

The stats above tell the whole story; Enzo Maresca has come in and taken predecessor Mauricio Pochettino’s style to a whole new level.

Going forward, his Chelsea side look more potent, more dangerous, and more clinical than they have at any point in recent memory. A lot of this comes down to the development of a number of young players bought in at the start of last season, including Jackson, Palmer, and Madueke.

With the added influence of the rapidly improving Caicedo, Fernandez, and full backs Malo Gusto and Marc Cucurella, Chelsea’s goals look like they can come from all quarters at the moment, a sign that they are a team playing with confidence..

As a collective, Chelsea are now the hardest team to stop when in full flow. With the joint most goals in the league alongside Liverpool, and with an exciting young team that averages the youngest starting XI of any side in the division, their pace and speed of decision making look set to cause havoc for any side they face.

Now lets see how the individual stats stack up …

How much have Chelsea’s Strikers Improved?

Once again, the stats speak very clearly that all three of Chelsea’s strikers have overall improved their effectiveness up top.

Granted, Conference League football does somewhat pad the stats, a competition in which players like Nkunku and Guiu can add to their goal tally with minimal effort, but the form which they have found in these competitions can only be healthy for Enzo Maresca’s squad. Should Jackson be dropped or injured, the coach has two fit and firing strikers who can fill the role more than capably.

In the case of Nicolas Jackson, who has not started a single game outside of the Premier League, his improvement is clear for all to see. Getting more shots away, hitting the target more often, and with a better conversion rate, Maresca is turning him into a top quality Premier League striker.

For context, prior to Liverpool’s 6-3 win over Spurs at the weekend, Jackson had more non-penalty goals than former Chelsea man Mohamed Salah since the start of last season, a testament to his improving finishing and growing Premier League experience.

Do Chelsea Need Another Striking Option?

While Chelsea are not having any issues in the goal scoring department, many are still suggesting they need a proven, quality goal scorer to come in and mentor their younger players, in a move which would turn their promising prospects into fully fledged Premier League goal scorers.

Setting Nicolas Jackson as a benchmark, let’s see how three of their most high-profile transfer targets in recent times compare.

All of their transfer targets out perform Jackson in one or two categories, but the dataset isn’t quite as straightforward as that.

Gyokeres plies his trade in the Portuguese Primeira Liga, while Osimhen competes in the Turkish Super Lig, both of which are considered far “easier” leagues than the English top flight. For forwards with as much quality as these two, scoring in or around a goal per 90 minutes isn’t actually all that hard.

In Jhon Duran’s case, the Colombian has proven that he is well on his way to being the Premier League’s next big thing, scoring 12 goals in all competitions despite frequently finding himself benched by the misfiring Ollie Watkins.

Competing in the same league as Jackson, he seems to be the most viable candidate to bring in, but being just 21 years of age, is missing the experience cherished by the Chelsea higher-ups. Should Chelsea sign him, he would need to adapt to a whole new style of play, and would have to cope with consistent starts instead of minutes off the bench, both of which could take time to get used to.

What’s the verdict?

As a Chelsea fan, my opinion is that Chelsea do not need another striker at this point in time. Nicolas Jackson is proving more than satisfactory in the league, while Nkunku and Guiu are gathering vital momentum in the Conference League.

Sure, rival fans may focus on the big misses rather than the goals, and Jackson may not yet be anywhere close to the level of Erling Haaland. However, reliably scoring the opening goal in a number of league games is a valuable trait to have, and his goals have set Chelsea on the path to victory countless times this season.

With Guiu aged just 18, he has plenty of time to evolve his game, and from what we have glimpsed of him in the Conference League, there is a serious centre-forward in there waiting to blossom.

As for Nkunku, it remains to be seen how he is to be best used in Maresca’s squad. However, when he plays, he scores more often than not, and is such a useful player to be able to call from when your team needs something a little different.

In the end, the Chelsea directors will have the final say when the transfer window arrives in the new year, but my hope is that they see the same promise in the current attacking lineup as much of their fanbase do. We will see what happens come January.