Chelsea want Ligue 1 youngster

Kolkata, December 18: Chelsea have identified Bordeaux forward Josh Maja as an ideal forward to provide more competition to red-hot Tammy Abraham.

The 20-year-old forward left Sunderland for French Ligue 1 in January after rejecting a new deal and has been impressive ever since. And the youngster being linked with a club like Chelsea is a testament of the talent he has showcased.

The Nigerian has managed seven goals in 24 appearances for Bordeaux so far despite starting only eight times. He has struggled to establish a permanent place in Bordeaux's starting line-up this season, but has still scored five goals. He has been a major force for Paulo Sousa's side who are seventh in the table.

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It is claimed that the youngster has been regularly monitored by the Chelsea scouts who had nothing but praise for the skillful and pacey forward. Chelsea are in the market for a solid alternative to in-form Abraham up front which both Olivier Giroud and Michy Batshuayi are both clearly not. And, Maja is seen by them as a quality option, but it would be a big risk though.

First of all, Abraham himself has not been given enough time at the top level. We have seen many players making a much stronger impact than the 22-year-old, but fading too soon. Abraham has scored 11 League goals already this season, but there is no certainty that he can maintain his form at this level.

When Batshuayi joined Chelsea for a huge fee a few years back, he was one of the most exciting talents in world football after having had a sensational season in Ligue 1 with Marseille. And, he failed miserably at Stamford Bridge. Signing players from Ligue 1 always comes with a lot of risk and the same goes with Maja, who is yet to prove himself at the top level. And, Chelsea are in not a position to make gambles like this.

If the Blues can sign Maja for a modest price, they can go ahead with it, but to provide a strong competition for Abraham, they should look for someone more established like Timo Werner or Moussa Dembele.