Frank Leboeuf slams 'clumsy' Raheem Sterling and Mykhailo Mudryk

Chelsea icon Frank Leboeuf slams ‘clumsy’ Raheem Sterling and lays into Nicolas Jackson, Mykhailo Mudryk and Enzo Fernandez… insisting the Blues should have signed Harry Kane to address their goal-scoring troubles

  • Chelsea have scored just five goals in the Premier League this season 
  • The Blues have already lost three matches under Mauricio Pochettino 
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Chelsea legend Frank Leboeuf believes his former side should have signed Harry Kane this summer and insisted their problems this season can be traced to the lack of an experienced striker.

The Mauricio Pochettino’s era has got off to a rocky start at Stamford Bridge, with the Blues 14th on the table with just five points in six matches following Saturday’s 1-0 loss to Aston Villa at home.

Chelsea spent £400million on players this summer, with Nicolas Jackson and Christopher Nkunku bolstering their attacking options. 

But the former has scored just once in six Premier League games, while the latter is out injured until the December and Leboeuf believes Chelsea missed a trick by not signing an established striker in the summer.

‘That surprises me a lot, and I’ve seen so many possibilities for them to score goals and they didn’t,’ he told ESPN.

Chelsea legend Frank Leboeuf believes his former side should have signed a world class striker this summer to address their struggle in front of goal

Raheem Sterling has scored twice in the Premier League this season for the Blues

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‘Nicolas Jackson has a future, but last year he was struggling until the other striker from Villarreal got injured so he came on.

‘After that, Enzo Fernandez is not a top scorer. […] Raheem Sterling has never been a top scorer. 

‘He has been so clumsy in front of the goal, but he does have other qualities.

‘Mykhailo Mudryk we don’t know what he’s worth because he just came from nowhere for £100m.

‘And the others, I don’t know. Christopher Nkunku is injured so we’ll have to wait until he comes back.’

The Blues have invested ÂŁ1bn in the transfer market since Todd Boehly took charge of the club 18 months ago, but their profligacy in front of goal has been a key issue.

Chelsea scored just 38 Premier League goals last season, the second-lowest tally in a single campaign in club history after the 31 they scored when they were relegated in 1923-24.

Mauricio Pochettino’s team has scored just five goals in six Premier League games

Nicolas Jackson has scored one goal in six matches and missed a host of chances

Mykhailo Mudryk is yet to score in 22 appearances for the Blues 

So far this season, the Blues have missed more big chances than any of their Premier League rivals and should have the sixth highest expected goals total.

But rather than 11.6 goals they have five – the joint third lowest total in the league – and have the second lowest shot conversion rate in the division.

And Lebouef insisted Chelsea’s failure to convert their chances came down to the lack of a proven goalscorer. 

‘If they have so much money, they should have bought Harry Kane or so many others,’ the 1998 World Cup winner said.


Lebouef believes Chelsea should have signed Harry Kane (left) or Aleksandar Mitrovic (right)

‘I see some players in France playing for Brest or Lorient, scoring goals like crazy, being a true striker, I’ve talked about [Aleksandar] Mitrovic before. 

‘Pick somebody with a little bit of experience who knows how to score a goal in the six-yard box.

‘Because we see that with Chelsea. It’s not even the last third, it’s when they are in the box and then they don’t know what to do with the ball. 

‘They’re not clever. They don’t pick the right choice. That’s absolutely crazy.’

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