More creative than Mata: Chelsea plan swoop for £35m Brazilian

You have to wonder whether, during the festive period, the collective journalists of the football world, all chip together and buy Givanildo Vieira de Souza – Hulk to you and I- a Christmas present, such is the amount of pages they have filled with speculation about him over the years.

More recently, the Metro has reported that Chelsea are preparing a Summer move for Hulk, following the news that the player has told Zenit St Petersburg he wants to leave at the end of the current season. Last year’s runners-up in the Russian Premier League will allow Hulk to leave should the right offer be made.

Hulk was one of the most talked about forwards in the world while at former club Porto and many in the media expected him to make the move to Stamford Bridge- some even going as far as to claim a deal was already done. Hulk’s transfer from Porto to Zenit was something of a shock and it hasn’t always been a happy time for the stocky striker. After a mixed campaign last season, which saw rifts with the manager and a patchy scoring record, Hulk is enjoying a far better season this time round as his goals tally proves.

Nine strikes in just fourteen appearances shows the 27 year-old has adapted to the harsher climate of the Russian league and could well have staked a decent claim to make the Brazilian squad for next Summer’s world cup. Hulk is often used as a winger for his country but has made a name for himself as a striker and it’s in that role that a move to Chelsea could well materialise.

It seems highly unlikely that Jose Mourinho ever wants to see Romelu Lukaku in a Chelsea shirt, while Fernando Torres and Demba Ba don’t seem to be the answer that’s needed to spearhead a title challenge. Unlike many of their rivals- Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal- Chelsea don’t have a striker, let alone a strike partnership, that can be relied upon to get the goals. It’s almost as if Mourinho has managed to mount a title challenge without a world class strike force- not because of one – and it makes you wonder what Chelsea could achieve with Hulk leading the line.

It may be goals that the striker is brought in for, but his link up play is often underrated and the likes of Juan Mata – who he has created more chances than so far this season – Oscar and Eden Hazard could benefit from a player who creates as many chances as the former Porto man does.

Hulk Chances Created Hulk 2013/14

At 27, he may not be the young striker that some want to see at the Bridge, but with the ability to score and create, he could be the catalyst for Chelsea moving to the very top of the pack.