Rumours: Former Chelsea man back to Premier League?
Saloman Kalou back to EPL a possibility?
January has come round and the rumour mill is abuzz with gossip and hearsay, as the media plays the guessing game of which player will end up where come the arrival of February.
Which of course means that the bi-annual stories of a return for Salomon Kalou to the Premier League have come around again, with the Ivorian having been perennially linked with a switch back to England since he left Chelsea in 2012 to join Lille.
Kalou stats
Arsenal are the main name reportedly in the frame and Arsene Wenger is known to be a fan of the player from his time on English shores. Meanwhile, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United are also reported to be interested.
Kalou enjoyed six years at Stamford Bridge after joining from Feyenoord and was a first team regular up until his final season, in which he managed just 12 league appearances and netted just one goal.
He was always a curious animal during his time with the Blues, often the first to come under fire from fans when things weren’t going their way and during most of his appearances was either hauled off or brought on from the bench.
Overall, he appeared to be the most dispensable member of the first team more, and yet spent five seasons as a key member of the squad, as Chelsea failed to replace him with anyone as reliable in terms of form.
The Ivorian attacker was never considered a match-winner, but was always relied upon for his tremendous levels of consistency and a work ethic that typically yielded results.
Kalou has found the target with two-thirds of his attempts on goal this season
While his talents may have been underrated and under-appreciated in West London, he is now one of the main men for Lille. Now a regular starter for the side, Kalou’s impact has been remarkable.
He was, in fact, their top goalscorer during the previous Ligue 1 season, in which the Ivorian netted 14 goals in 28 starts and accomplished an excellent conversion rate of 21.9%.
This season has not quite gone as well for him personally in front of goal, but his all-round contribution to the team has not gone unnoticed and Lille have been the one club to keep pace with the filthy-rich duo of Paris St Germain and Monaco in the French top-flight.
The French clubs have recently been hammered by Francois Hollande’s decision to uphold a tax which would penalise players’ top wages. No doubt they’ll be visiting Pokerstars to make up the difference then.
He has managed just the six goals in 20 appearances this campaign, but his conversion rate still stands at a respectable 15.8%, having hit the target with 66% of his shots.
Furthermore, 24 chances created makes him Lille’s second most creative player behind Florent Balmont, landing two assists in addition to his own strikes.
Kalou Take-On
He is also one of the most dynamic players with the ball at his feet in France, having completed 43 take-ons, successfully beating his man 57% of the time.
Only seven players in the Premier League have completed more take-ons this season and it is perhaps interesting that none of them play for Arsenal, who are the main interested party and are in dire need of an extra forward.
Premier League Take-Ons
With Theo Walcott out for the season at the Emirates and Nicklas Bendtner still not trusted to play a key role in the Gunners title challenge, Kalou could well prove the perfect foil for Olivier Giroud and, as an additional bonus, he’s capable of either playing the lead role up front or covering the wing position Walcott used to occupy.
While Lille would be reluctant to entertain a sale due to the importance they place upon Kalou’s shoulders, it is known that a reasonable price can generally be agreed with Ligue 1 clubs, as few clubs are able to boast exceptional financial situations.
With Arsenal (among others) chasing a reliable striker in order to boost their forward lines for the run in to end of the season, there are few players in circulation that can be trusted as much as Salomon Kalou.
He may not be the shiniest trinket to be found on the market, but the fact he contributes to any side he turns out for makes him a more than worthwhile purchase.