Chelsea continued their stride towards an emphatic title success with a one-one draw at home to Liverpool on Sunday; a result which leaves them 11 points clear of second place with just two games remaining.

Their first Premier League title since 2010 has been richly deserved, and they’ve certainly been the most worthy winners thanks to combination of superb defending and a clinical edge going forward; scoring the second highest amount of goals in the division.

Diego Costa has been pivotal to their success this season and has enjoyed a terrific first campaign in England since arriving from Atletico Madrid last summer. His 19 league goals saw him earn a place in the PFA Team of the Year and it’s safe to say he’s proved real value for money.

However the striker was once again forced to sit out at the weekend, and with attention already focused on the summer transfer window, Jose Mourinho has a big decision to make regarding his recruitment.

The Spanish star has missed a number of games due to injury, and although he’s had a massive contribution for a big part of the season, he’s shown he can’t always be relied upon especially when his side have two games in a week.

For this reason alone Mourinho will surely have pinpointed this an area he needs to strengthen over the coming months as the Blues not only set out to defend their league title, but also look to go deeper in the Champions League.

So do they need another striker?

It’s been difficult at times but Chelsea have coped with three forwards for the whole season, and thanks to Loic Remy and Didier Drogba have ensured Costa’s absence hasn’t proved too costly.

But it’s unlikely the manager will risk doing the same again next season.

For all his quality, Remy is another who is also prone to injury and despite proving an adequate replacement who has contributed to some vital goals, the Frenchman will also miss his fair share of games for reasons out of his control.

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When fit he is more than good enough to lead the line for the Blues, and would arguably walk into any other side in the division having proven his ability to score goals at this level.

At times this season the Blues have been left with just Didier Drogba as their only fit striker; hardly an ideal scenario given the fact that the Ivorian turned 37 in March.

With Drogba’s future at Stamford Bridge still in question this leaves Mourinho with Costa and Remy. In that case it there could well be room for the Championship’s Player of the Season Patrick Bamford, who has excelled during his loan spell at Middlesbrough.

The 21-year-old has netted an impressive 17 goals to ensure his side are still in with a shout of promotion to the Premier League, and regardless of the outcome, the youngster has shown he is ready to make the step up next season.

Whether this is with Boro, Chelsea or another top-flight side remains to be seen, but Mourinho may well resist the urge to loan him out for another season and start to incorporate him into the Chelsea squad. While Costa and Remy would no doubt remain ahead of him in the pecking order, he would certainly prove a useful a man to have in reserve and could realistically find himself playing 20 games across league and cup that would prove highly beneficial to his development.

If Jose decides Bamford would be better off elsewhere playing week in week out then he will have no choice but to splash the cash on a new attacker to ensure he has sufficient options. Just who that will be remains anyone’s guess.

Sure they would love a big name, a world class talent, but would that individual be happy knowing they would be playing second fiddle to Costa and used in a squad rotation system, where they aren’t guaranteed a start every week. It’s unlikely.

With this in mind the best way forward could be to stick with what they have. Tie Drogba down to a new contract and hope that Remy and Costa have better luck with injuries next season.

Bamford could then make the step up to the first-team squad ensuring they have four strikers at their disposal, and should they be in desperate need then they’re not exactly short of talent at youth level with the likes of Isaiah Brown and Dominic Solanke showing their potential this season with a hatful of goals.

Solanke is just 17, yet 41 goals in all competitions means he looks set for a bright future at the Bridge, and along with Brown could soon feature in the first team.

So it seems Mourinho won’t be lacking in options should he decide against dipping into the transfer market, however with Costa’s injury problems, he may feel the need to buy another world class goalscorer is what’s required to ensure Chelsea are in the best position to defend their title next season.

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