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Frank Lampard looks nailed on to become Chelsea’s next manager.

According to the BBC, Lampard will not be taking charge of Derby County training on Monday or Tuesday this week and it appears he is nailed on to replace Maurizio Sarri in the Stamford Bridge hotseat.

While the Chelsea legend will be expected to navigate issues arising from the club’s transfer ban and the need to integrate young players purposefully, there’s another question looming on the Englishman’s shoulders: will Lampard be able to address Chelsea’s striking conundrum?

As Goal report, Gonzalo Higuain – who scored a measly total of five goals in 18 games for Chelsea, two of which were scored against bottom place Huddersfield – is expected to return to Juventus with Sarri at the helm.

Resultantly, the Blues’ remaining options in the attacking department are Olivier Giroud, Tammy Abraham and Michy Batshuayi.

With that in mind, Football FanCast take a look at who should lead Chelsea’s attack next season?

Olivier Giroud

In a season-and-a-half at Chelsea, the Frenchman has won the FA Cup, the Europa League and lost the Carabao Cup final on penalties.

The 32-year-old scored the Blues’ opening goal in the FA Cup semi-final win against Southampton during the 2017/18 season, and he scored, assisted, and won a penalty in the Blues’ memorable 4-1 triumph against Arsenal in Baku.

While Giroud has only amassed 18 goals in 63 games for Chelsea, hardly the regularity that a team of Chelsea’s pedigree would expect, the Frenchman has contributed tellingly in other aspects, particularly with his linkup play and ability to create goals.

The Frenchman registered 23 goals contributions (13 goals, ten assists) in 45 appearances last season – 11 of those goals earned Giroud the status of being the Europa League’s top goalscorer.

During his time as a Chelsea player, the former Arsenal forward has scored an impressive array of goals – reflective of his varied attacking skill set. However, rather concerningly, the France international has only scored five league goals in 40 games for the Blues.

While his goal-scoring record in the Premier League is poor for Chelsea, to focus solely on goals scored would negate Giroud’s greatest strengths. Arguably, his greatest asset is his selflessness, and as quoted in the Independent, the forward recognised the importance of his work during France’s triumphant World Cup campaign,

“You know, when you are a striker like me, you always play for the teammates.

"Obviously, I prefer to have chances and score, but if I can make space for the others, you know, I always try to choose the best option for the team. That's the main thing.

"I think when France was world champions in 1998, I think Dugarry scored one goal and Guivarc'h not at all. If we are World Cup champions without me scoring, I don't mind. It means, if I'm on the pitch, the boss thinks I can help the team.

"I've got my part to play. I try to make space for my teammates.”

His efforts were also greatly appreciated by his teammates, particularly Eden Hazard who hailed the Frenchman as the world’s best target man. As the Irish Times reported in September 2018, Hazard said:

“Olivier’s a target man, maybe the best in the world; I think so.

When he gets the ball, he can hold the ball and we can go in deep with him, so for us it’s a pleasure to play with him.”

While Lampard primarily used formations that deployed one centre-forward during his inaugural season of management, Giroud could prove to be an effective option, especially if Lampard is seeking a clear point of reference in his team.

Tammy Abraham

Tammy Abraham may not be a World Cup winner, but the 21-year-old did score a mightily impressive total of 26 goals in all competitions for Aston Villa last season, increasing his total to 60 goals in 130 senior appearances at club level.

Unquestionably, Abraham’s goal-scoring prowess and his ruthlessness inside the penalty area are his greatest attributes. Considering that Chelsea only scored 63 goals in 38 games last season, the division’s sixth-best attack, the need for a clinical and consistent goalscorer is pronounced.

Given the consistent need to perform, strikers are subjected to gruelling pressure, and self-determination and a positive mindset are vital in sustaining good form.

Aston Villa’s assistant manager, John Terry, told the club’s official website in January about Abraham’s innate passion and tenacity. He said:

"You knew he was going to come over and put himself about – run the channels, score goals, be hungry, be passionate.

"The thing I love about him is that you see him scoring goals in games, but he's exactly the same in training in the week. He'll run away and punch the air in a five-a-side game.

"You can't teach that in people. It comes from within. That's the kind of people we want around the group – players with that fire and will to win day in, day out. He's certainly got that. His passion is infectious.”

Such focus and commitment to succeed could benefit a Chelsea side navigating the unfamiliar dilemma of a transfer ban.

Aside from Diego Costa, who scored a mightily impressive total of 58 goals in 120 games for Chelsea, the Blues have failed to acquire a centre-forward who scores regularly. The Alvaro Morata experiment failed categorically, scoring 24 goals in 72 appearances for the club, hardly justifying the £60m fee Chelsea paid Real Madrid for his services.

With the inability to sign players, it’s high time that the Blues resort to Tammy Abraham, a ruthless goalscorer and a man that has outgrown the second tier of English football.

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Michy Batshuayi

The Belgian forward represents a curious case for Chelsea. Having scored the decisive goal at the Hawthorns to hand the Blues their fifth Premier League crown, his name is etched into club folklore, though many feel that the 25-year-old’s limited involvement was insufficient to prove his worth to the club.

Batshuayi has scored 19 goals in 53 games in all competitions for the Blues, and while his record seems only moderately impressive on paper, the Belgian forward played as a substitute for 35 of those 53 games.

Commanding a better goal per game ratio than Giroud, the striker - who enjoyed impressive loan spells at Borussia Dortmund and Crystal Palace - flaunts a similar attacking skill set to Tammy Abraham.

Playing in Germany was one of the Belgian’s most impressive spells of his career, contributing towards ten goals (nine scored, one assist) in 14 appearances for Borussia Dortmund during the second half of the 2017/18 season. The then Dortmund manager, Peter Stoger, hailed the forward as a great striker, referencing his goal-scoring habits and persistence in retrieving possession. He said, as cited by AOL:

"Michy is a real goalscorer. The question was: How well does he fit into the team, will he feel at home here? Things are looking good.”

"Scoring goals is one thing, but working for the team and winning balls like he did for the opener makes him a great striker."

If given consistent involvement at Chelsea, perhaps the Belgian would rekindle the form that he produced with the Bundesliga outfit. As a player who has attained experience in a multitude of leagues, including England, Spain, Germany and France, and having scored an impressive tally of 13 goals in 26 appearances for Belgium, this season could be the perfect opportunity for Batshuayi to stake his claim.

Verdict

While Abraham and Batshuayi champion greater speed and better goal-scoring records of late, Giroud’s immense experience and well-roundedness could prove vital to Chelsea.

The 32-year-old is a player renowned for scoring wonderful goals, while his general selflessness and his ability to give his team a clear point of reference from which to work.

The Frenchman would be well-suited to lead the Chelsea attack in the forthcoming campaign.