Chelsea craving new striker

Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri admitted his side needs a new striker after it wasted a chance to cement its place in the Premier League’s top four with a 0-0 draw against struggling Southampton on Wednesday.

Sarri’s team remains in fourth place, but it is now just three points ahead of fifth-place Arsenal in the race to qualify for next season’s Champions League.

On Wednesday, the Blues made Christian Pulisic the most expensive American soccer player in history when they paid Borussia Dortmund around $73 million for the midfielder.

However, the 20-year-old has been loaned straight back to the German side for six months, with Sarri keen to acquire more attacking reinforcements after his side failed to score for the third time in its last five league games at Stamford Bridge.

“The club knows my opinion. I think we need something else for our characteristics,” Sarri said when asked if he would consider recalling on-loan forwards Michy Batshuayi and Tammy Abraham.

Quizzed on the possibility of signing a new striker, he made it clear the responsibility lies with owner Roman Abramovich.

“It depends on the board, not on me,” the Italian said. “I have to think of my responsibility with the training. I have to try to improve my players in the offensive phase.

“We played a good match for 80 meters, then we were in trouble in the last 20 meters. We have to try to solve the problem.”