Maurizio Sarri has revealed that January loan addition Gonzalo Higuain is finding it difficult to adapt to life in the Premier League.
Higuain has been one of the greatest strikers of his generation. When it was announced that he was joining Chelsea, you could forgive us for being a little excited.
Irrespective of his age, the Argentine has an innate ability to score goals. That predatory instinct has been lacking for us, but no longer – or so it seemed.
After three goals in seven Premier League appearances, the jury’s still out on Higuain. He’s yet to convince us he’d be worthy of signing on a permanent basis.
Sarri has now offered insight into why Higuain has been unable to produce his best performance level since becoming a Chelsea player.
He’s quoted by ITV saying:
“He said to me that it’s difficult, because the physical impact of the defenders here is really very strong,” said Sarri.”
“The referees here are really very different than in Italy, and so it’s another football for him, especially for a striker and a goalkeeper, it’s really very different.”
“And so I think that he needs time, but we have no time. So we need him at his top level in the last two months.”
Sarri is right in saying that we have no time. Higuain needs to get up to scratch now, else we won’t achieve our season ambition of securing Champions League football.
If he wants to prolong his time at Stamford Bridge, he needs to get to work at convincing the Chelsea board that he’s worth the cash – and fast.
