Gonzalo Higuain is relishing the opportunity to test his mettle in the English Premier League after completing his move to Chelsea.
Higuain had opportunities to move to England earlier in his career, especially in the summer of 2013 when Arsenal were heavily linked with the Argentine, yet a deal never materialised with the Gunners, paving the way for the Partenopei to acquire what eventually turned out to be an astute signing, both on and off the pitch.
During 2015-2016, Higuain set a joint-record in Serie A for most league goals in a single season when he struck 36 times for Napoli in 35 games, after which the club sold their prized striker to Juventus for £75.3 million – more than double the £31.8 million fee Napoli paid Real Madrid to take him to the San Paolo.
In his first interview as a Chelsea player, Higuain reflects on his long-awaited move to England.
“For a long time I’ve wanted to play in England but until now such a concrete opportunity hasn’t presented itself, so it was something I was never going to miss out on,” said the Argentina international.
“It’s a huge challenge to come and play in the Premier League and I hope I’ll be able to settle in here at Chelsea. It’s a wonderful team and I hope we can bring a lot of happiness to the fans.”
A Natural Finisher
Having finally completed the signing of the Argentine forward on a six-month loan deal, the west Londoners are signing a natural finisher with a proven goalscoring record in two of the top leagues in Europe.
In his six seasons with Real Madrid, where he moved to from River Plate in Argentina, the lethal forward registered 107 goals in 190 league matches and when this is already a superb goalscoring return, he managed to outdo himself upon his move to Napoli in Italy.
During three league campaigns at the Stadio San Paolo, Higuain netted an astounding 71 goals in 104 matches, running rampant against Italian defences largely enabled by Maurizio Sarri’s free-flowing brand of football.
A two-year stint at Turin with Juventus proved the same with the 31-year-old bagging 40 strikes in just 73 league matches and while he could only muster 6 goals in 15 appearances for the first half of the current campaing with Milan, which still is not a bad return, the hope for the Blues is that the forward will be able to replicate his masterful displays in front of goal under the guidance of Sarri, whom he enjoyed a superb relationship with during their time at Naples.
“Chelsea is a team who always has great players and as kids everybody watched the Premier League, so it’s a real dream for me to come and play in this league, having already played in three of the best leagues in the world, it’s a real source of pride for me and I hope to make the most of it,” added Higuain.
