Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been backed to break the number nine curse at Chelsea, which has hit the likes of Romelu Lukaku and Alvaro Morata, by Joe Cole.
The Blues have been very successful over the years but one thing remains elusive to them, a player wearing the number nine shirt and having success.
Romelu Lukaku signed in August 2021 for around £100 million and was given the number on his long awaited return to Stamford Bridge, after the club failed to re-sign him in 2017.
Things did not go well for the Belgian however, as he scored just 15 times in 44 games in all competitions and returned back to Inter Milan this summer on loan.
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Lukaku isn't the only player to have failed with the number nine shirt, and Thomas Tuchel even claimed previously that players were scared to take the shirt number.
However, Aubameyang was signed at the end of the summer transfer window and did take the number, giving the possibility that he would add his name to the list of flops, that also includes Morata, Fernando Torres, Hernan Crespo and several others.
Speaking exclusively to SPORTbible, former Chelsea star Cole revealed that he believes that now Aubameyang has got himself up and running with a goal, the former Barcelona star could be the one to break the curse.
"It's unfortunate, isn't it?" Cole said of the curse.
"I mean, it's you know, we've been some big big name players bought for a lot of money and it's not quite worked out.
"I think he's an excellent footballer, he's a proven goalscorer. I think he'll benefit from working with the young athletic players around him.
"He went and done it at Barcelona in a short period of time didn't he, scored goals over there.
"He's off the mark at Chelsea.
"He needs to he needs to have a good few weeks leading up to the World Cup. And then we will see and then we'll see where we are after that but the pressure's on, you put that shirt on you have to score goals. And I think he can do it."
On why things haven't worked out for past players, the former England star added, "It's a case where it's like, maybe the right players at the wrong time, do you know what I mean.
"You've had great players, such as Torres and Shevchenko [who didn't wear number nine but was another high profile, high cost, striker for the Blues who failed].
"It's always been hard to replace Drogba upfront, in the mind of the fans, so it becomes a problem.
"Listen, you're not thinking that as a player I don't think. Go and do your job and you try and do the best you can and then leave that for everyone everyone else to do.
"He's not thinking that, you don't pull that shirt on on a weekend go, 'ooh, put the number nine shirt on.'
"He's just gonna go and do his thing like, and if you give him a chance Aubameyang will bury it. That's been proven so I'm I've got faith in him."
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Topics: Chelsea, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Champions League, Premier League
Ryan Sidle