Striker with 17 goals and is in top 4% for defensive stats a hard transfer target for Chelsea | OneFootball

Igor Thiago’s fine form in the Premier League has led to transfer links with Chelsea, but it’s a hard deal to do. 

Chelsea were today linked with a move for Brentford striker Igor Thiago, who is having a great season and chasing Erling Haaland in the scoring charts.

A glance at his stats show how good the Brazilian has been. He has 17 goals in 25 starts this season. He’s also in the top 4% of forwards for defensive contributions, we note. He’s been a big part of Brentford’s shocking success this season, and not just because of his goals.

He’s really impressed with his all round play, after bouncing back from a first season ruined by injury.

Igor not a player who fits Chelsea’s current model

Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart. (Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC)

This doesn’t feel like a deal Chelsea will look to do. For one thing, Thiago is 24. That’s a little bit older than the players we are generally targeting at the moment. More pertinently, he’s just signed a new contract.

We are in the business of snapping up players like Thiago when they’re still in South America, or perhaps after his success at Club Brugge. Buying them when they’re at their peak value and have already had Premier League success is what we’re trying to avoid.

Unless he has a Liam Delap-like release clause or runs down his deal with the Bees, this feels a long shot.

In other news…

Cole Palmer has fired himself into the league’s top players in terms of xG per 90 and goals per 90. A nice rest this weekend gives him an even better platform to perform this weekend when we play Burnley.

Chelsea also have been linked with Juventus defender Gleison Bremer. His stats are great, but at his age and price it’s just not a deal we can see happening.