Gonzalo Higuain: Can the veteran striker make an impact in the Premier League?

With Andriy Shevchenko, Fernando Torres and Alvaro Morata all falling short of expectations at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea have a history of getting it hideously wrong when it comes to signing big-name strikers.

Wastefulness in the final third has eaten away at the club's top-four aspirations this season and, with the need for goals growing game by game, they appear to have settled on a suitable quick fix in the form of Gonzalo Higuain.

The 31-year-old's career is not without its low points. His infamous miss in the 2014 World Cup final raised doubts about his big-game mentality while his fitness has long been under the microscope.

However, there is no question that Higuain is a prolific scorer at club level.

Maurizio Sarri knows what to expect

After seven seasons littered with goals (107 in 190 appearances), he fell out of favour at Real Madrid but responded with a scintillating spell at Napoli, where he equalled the record for goals in an Italian top-flight season with 36 and broke the Serie A record in the process.

That stunning campaign came under the stewardship of Maurizio Sarri, a manager who understands how to get the best out of the misunderstood marksman and will be reunited with him in west London.

• Gonzalo Higuain signs for Chelsea on loan from Juventus

Chelsea desperately lacked a focal point in the box during Saturday's 2-0 defeat to Arsenal and Higuain, an upgrade on their only notable target-man forward Olivier Giroud, can both hold the ball up and run at defenders.

Higuain's replacement at Milan Krzysztof Piatek was another potential target but, with just 19 Serie A appearances to his name, he may have been considered too inexperienced to have the immediate impact Chelsea's new signing is capable of making.

With the inconsistent Morata set for a loan move to Atletico Madrid, Chelsea appear to have got the best deal in the three-way transfer carousel and the divisive figure of Higuain could win over his doubters in the remainder of the 2018-19 Premier League season.

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