The future of Chelsea's current strikeforce looks bleak after José Mourinho confirmed he intends to revamp his side's front-line, as well as instil fight and focus into his other attacking talents, for an assault on the title next season.
Mourinho conceded his team's hopes of winning the Premier League were effectively over after Saturday's defeat at Crystal Palace, his first by a newly promoted club and a result that handed the initiative to Liverpool and Manchester City in the title race. The Portuguese praised the effort and commitment of his defence in the 1-0 defeat but was critical of others for "disappearing" in a game they might have anticipated winning. He had confirmed straight after the match that his side had lacked "balls" at Selhurst Park.
The main ramifications will be felt by the forward line, with Chelsea expected to try to prise the Brazil-born Spain forward Diego Costa from Atlético Madrid. While Samuel Eto'o will be out of contract, the futures of Demba Ba, Fernando Torres and even Romelu Lukaku will then come under scrutiny dependent upon what interest is generated.
"I don't think it's the moment to speak about next season and the market but it's clear to everybody that Chelsea next year wants to bring a striker," said Mourinho. "What's the future for the other strikers? The ones who are staying are competing with the striker we are bringing [in]. And normally, at the end of the season, players that are not playing a lot or players who are not happy may prefer a change. That is also part of the market. We want to improve the team and the players and make some surgical movements in the transfer window."
Ba, Torres and Eto'o, who is recovering from a hamstring injury and is likely to miss Wednesday's Champions League quarter-final at Paris St Germain, have contributed 15 league goals between them this term, with the Cameroonian veteran's eight having all been scored at Stamford Bridge.
Indeed, the goals by Torres at Southampton and Hull City in January are the only ones by forwards away from Stamford Bridge all season. Lukaku, on loan at Everton, has 12 league goals, five of which have been scored away from Goodison Park, though he may be considered a saleable asset.
Mourinho acknowledged he must also get consistency from Eden Hazard, André Schürrle and Oscar in run-of-the-mill matches, after suggesting the defeat at Palace was an indication of a poor "mentality". "I will try to improve the players," he said. "I can't and I don't need to improve [Branislav] Ivanovic, [Gary] Cahill, John Terry. I can't improve them and I don't need to improve them but there are other guys I need to improve. I think we are doing that step-by-step. But that's not enough to be champions.
"Always, in the back of your mind, you think you might win [the league] but you have to be realistic and you have to analyse the situation and understand. How many points did Chelsea finish in the last two seasons behind the team in first? How many points? [25 and 14] That was for a reason. So this season to be where we are is an important step but, when you are there, you have in the back of your mind the little feeling that you can still do it. You think you can, you think you can, but the reality is different."