Chelsea eye West Brom hitman as Guus Hiddink admits he wants striker signing

GUUS HIDDINK has admitted he could move for a striker in January with the Chelsea frontline worryingly short on numbers.

 



Chelsea boss Guus Hiddink could be set to move for West Brom striker Saido Berahino

 

Hiddink has only Diego Costa of his strikers available to face West Brom - who may well offer up a solution to the Dutchman in the shape of unsettled frontman Saido Berahino.

Hiddink's second-choice striker Loic Remy has only just recovered from an ankle injury while No.3 Radamel Falcao is weeks away from playing thanks to a thigh problem.

An injury to Costa more substantial than the bruised knee he suffered in the FA Cup win over Scunthorpe on Sunday would leave Chelsea woefully short.

So Hiddink is assessing the market, with Berahino high on the list of options along with Carlos Bacca of AC Milan.

 

Hiddink insisted Remy, a January target for Galatasaray, Newcastle, Aston Villa and Crystal Palace, would be staying for now and said: "We have a multitude of games so I hope Remy picks it up. I hope he will deliver if he is needed.

"We are short of options. I hope they will both stay fit. I would be concerned if either picked up another injury.

"We are thinking about the situation. We have to have good competition, double occupation in every position.

"We must not go into the dangerous situation when something happens with one of the two strikers."

 

One player though who Hiddink appears to have ruled out Patrick Bamford as a striking solution. The 22-year-old has been a success in spells at Championships clubs Derby and Middlesbrough but has recently returned from an unproductive spell he described as "terrible" at Crystal Palace.

"Bamford also has not played a lot of games," said Hiddink. "He hardly played at Palace so that's why he has to prove himself first with the Under-21's here. Then we'll see what can happen."

Chelsea are also looking to sign Shakhtar Donetsk's attacking midfielder Alex Teixeira, with a £30million deal close to completion, as well as a defender.