Alexis Sanchez, Philippe Coutinho … Peter Crouch.
While the marquee signings among Europe’s top clubs have been grabbing the headlines for Barcelona, Manchester United and Arsenal, there have some strange goings on at Chelsea.
With Antonio Conte’s defending Premier League champions looking like a pale imitation of the side that marched to the title last season, their winter recruitment drive has, well, to put it politely, raised a few eyebrows.
England midfielder Ross Barkley is Chelsea's only January signing to date, having joined them from Everton for £15 million.
Yesterday’s 4-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion took them up to third in the league but miles behind league leaders Manchester City and fans have been demanding investment in new players with the knock-out stages of the Uefa Champions League looming.
Stamford Bridge making contact with Stoke City about signing veteran striker Peter Crouch is probably not what they had in mind.
Then there is the inquiries to sign West Ham United’s injury-prone former Liverpool flop Andy Carroll and Roma defender Emerson Palmieri, who missed the first three months of the season with a cruciate injury and has made only two appearances for the club.
While Palmieri is an unproven player at the back, we will reserve judgement on him.
Carroll is a different proposition. Sounding a bit like a treatment table nursery rhyme, his recent injuries include ligaments, ankles, knee and groin: Carroll is always one knock away from months on the sidelines and another problem with his ankle looks to have put an end to any move across London anyway. When he is fit, he is hardly any better than Michy Batshuayi, who will head for the Stamford Bridge exit this month, deemed surplus to requirements.
But, while on paper it may sound odd, Crouch could be a savvy piece of business for Conte.
The 36-year-old former Liverpool and England goal-getter could be the perfect stop-gap to get Chelsea to the summer, when they can secure the services of a younger, more-prolific striker after the World Cup in Russia.
The gangly beanpole has vast Premier League experience and could provide ample cover as back-up to Alvaro Morata. He is also eligible for the Champions League and has found the net 18 times in that competition over the years.
They might be out of the running for the Premier League title, but if Chelsea are aiming to compete for Europe’s top trophy and take second spot in England, Crouch might well be the unlikely lad to take them there.
