Gonzalo Higuain completes loan transfer to Chelsea
The 31-year-old striker moves to Stamford Bridge from
Italian side Juventus. He spent the first half of the campaign on loan at AC
Milan where he scored eight goals.
A proven goalscorer throughout his career, and an Argentina
international, Higuain arrives with a wealth of experience at the highest level
having consistently shown his attacking quality during spells in Argentina,
Spain and Italy.
Clinical in and around the penalty area, as well as
providing a strong aerial threat, Higuain previously played under Maurizio
Sarri at Napoli in 2015/16, when he finished as top scorer in Serie A with 36
goals, breaking a long-standing Italian record.
Upon completing his loan move to Chelsea, Higuain, who will
wear the number nine shirt, said: ‘When the opportunity to join Chelsea
presented itself I had to take it. It’s a team I’ve always liked that has a lot
of history, a wonderful stadium and they play in the Premier League, a league
I’ve always wanted to play in.
‘I now hope I can
give back that trust Chelsea have shown me out on the pitch. I can’t wait to
start and I hope to adapt as soon as possible.’
Director Marina Granovskaia added: ‘Gonzalo was our number
one target in this transfer window and arrives with a proven record at the
highest level. He has previously worked with Maurizio to great effect and is
familiar with how the coach likes to play.
‘This was not an easy deal for us to do because of the
numerous parties involved, but we are delighted we were able to make it happen
and we look forward to seeing the impact Gonzalo will make for us in the second
half of the season.’
Named in the Serie A Team of the Year on three separate
occasions, Higuain backs his personal achievements up with collective honours.
A title winner with Real Madrid and Juventus, he has also won domestic cup
competitions with both teams, as well as being part of the Napoli side which
won the Italian Cup in 2013/14.
On the international stage, meanwhile, Higuain has
represented Argentina at three World Cups and started the final against Germany
in 2014.
