Higuain has agreed a loan move to Chelsea
Wednesday 23 January 2019 21:27, UK
Gonzalo Higuain has joined Chelsea on loan, but how does he compare to the Premier League's other top strikers? WhoScored.com look at the stats.
It comes six months later than he might have hoped, but Maurizio Sarri is finally being reunited with Gonzalo Higuain. The striker, who reportedly snubbed Chelsea to join AC Milan in the summer, has now moved to Stamford Bridge from parent club Juventus for the remainder of the season.
Needless to say, the switch to Milan did not work out as expected. Higuain scored just six goals in 15 Serie A appearances there. His shot conversion rate of just 10.7 per cent made it a disappointing return by his high standards. The hope now is that Sarri can coax the best out of him, as he did so impressively in their sole season together at Napoli.
Higuain netted a whopping total of 36 goals in 35 league outings in that 2015/16 campaign, romping his way to the top scorer prize and equalling the Serie A record set by Gino Rossetti in 1928/29.
Chelsea's lack of cutting edge up front has been apparent throughout the season and there is plenty of pressure on Higuain to hit the ground running in the Premier League, but how does his record compare to the rest of the top six's frontmen since the start of last season?
Higuain's total of 22 league goals in 50 appearances does not make great reading - especially when you consider that 35 of those appearances came for a dominant, free-scoring Juventus side.
His total falls well below those of Mohamed Salah (48), Harry Kane (44), Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (37) and Sergio Aguero (31), while he also lags behind Roberto Firmino and Romelu Lukaku (both 24). Higuain is level with Alexandre Lacazette and ahead of only Gabriel Jesus (18), Alvaro Morata (16), Marcus Rashford (15) and Olivier Giroud (eight).
Higuain's total is modest but the fact he is ahead of both Morata and Giroud shows Chelsea's reasoning for bringing him in. Eden Hazard has scored 22 Premier League goals since the start of last season - the same number as Higuain - but he is not a natural striker.
A closer look at the stats emphasises Chelsea's issues. They rank second for key passes (289) in the Premier League this season, yet their return of 40 goals is the worst of the top six. Their conversion rate is 10.8 per cent, the 10th-highest in England's top tier, and they have missed the third-most clear-cut chances (37) in the Premier League.
A prolific frontman is therefore a necessity, but Higuain's conversion rate over the last 18 months is a poor 13.9 per cent. Only Giroud (11.4 per cent) has a lower conversion rate among top-six strikers. For context, Aubameyang tops the charts on 24.8 per cent. That said, the former Borussia Dortmund striker is also proof that an ageing striker can succeed in a new league if the system suits him, which is encouraging for Chelsea and Higuain.
The pair may have only spent one season together, but Higuain's goal tally in that season shows he can thrive in Sarri's system and that he is a firm believer in his methods. The Argentine has been unable to hit those heights in the last 18 months, but Chelsea will hope he picks up where he left off under his old mentor.
