Chelsea's long-running striker problem has been well-documented, emphasised most recently through the lucrative acquisition of Romelu Lukaku.
Of those who came before him, the thought process was that bringing the hulking Belgian back for a mouth-watering £97.5m fee would rewrite their past failures that included Gonzalo Higuain, Radamel Falcao, Fernando Torres and more.
However, the 30-year-old would spend just a sole season back in England before returning to the club that sold him, joining Inter Milan for the 2022/23 campaign.
Just eight league goals in that year meant he would hardly be missed, but yet again Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter and currently Frank Lampard have all suffered from a lack of a focal point this season. This summer marks a time when they simply have to get it right, or else continue their thankless cycle.
Perhaps, with Mauricio Pochettino set to join, the Argentine could look to find a forward akin to Harry Kane, who is as equally exceptional at linking the play as he is at finding the net. His 27 league goals and 1.5 key passes per game outline this succinctly, via Sofascore.
Perhaps by acquiring someone to facilitate the immense quality that would surround them, it could get the best out of the entire squad, that has currently only managed to score 36 goals in 35 league games.
With reports emerging linking the Blues with a move for Lautaro Martinez, perhaps their prayers are set to be answered.
How good is Lautaro Martinez?
It is expected that a fee of around £70m could be enough to allow the Argentina international to leave this summer, proving that this will not be a cheap deal for owner Todd Boehly.
However, the 25-year-old boasts all the assets needed to thrive within a Pochettino team, which could make this move invaluable.
This season, as the focal point of a side that is on track to finish in the top four alongside their upcoming Champions League final, Martinez has scored 25 goals and assisted a further ten in all competitions.
The wily marksman stands at just 5 foot 9 but retains that warrior-like spirit synonymous with South Americans. He battles just as hard as his strike partner 6 foot 3 Lukaku, yet surpasses him in many other ways technically too.
This is no better exemplified than through his underlying statistics, where the diminutive powerhouse boasts 1.2 key passes per game, whilst ranking in the top 3% when compared to other forwards across Europe for interceptions per 90.
Such a tireless work rate aligns him perfectly with Pochettino, who will gladly welcome an "animal" such as him to spearhead his attack, as branded so by pundit Pablo Marino.
Lukaku's own strengths are showcased when compared against the same aforementioned group, as he instead excels in progressive passes received, ranking in the top 7%. As a classic target man who can also spin in behind, willing to accept the ball with his back to goal, instead Martinez would drop deep and allow others to claim the offensive limelight.
Even Lionel Messi has outlined his love for playing with the forward, praising his compatriot:
"He’s spectacular. He has impressive qualities. You could tell he was going to be a great player and he is showing that. He’s very strong, really good one-on-one, scores a lot of goals and in the area he fights with anyone, holds it up, he can turn, scrap to win it all on his own.
“He has a lot of quality. He’s very complete."
This selflessness makes him the perfect man to join up with his compatriot and lead them into a brighter future under Pochettino, one that is unlikely to contain the former Manchester United flop.