Chelsea have been linked with several shock striker targets in the last few weeks as they look for cover for Alvaro Morata.

West Ham’s Andy Carroll, Crystal Palace’s Christian Benteke and Stoke’s Peter Crouch are three names on the Blues’ shortlist.

Roma star Edin Dzeko is the latest name on their radar.

With Chelsea still 12 points behind Premier League leaders Manchester City after their 4-0 win over Brighton today, Merson reckons Abramovich knows the chances of winning back-to-back titles are out of the window.

So Merson claims Chelsea will make a stop-gap signing before dipping back into the transfer market in the summer.

“It’s not good is it at the moment when you reel off all them (names),” the Chelsea fan and former Arsenal forward said on Sky Sports.

“I just think the owner’s looked at it and thought ‘we’re quite a way away from Man City, what’s the point?’. 

“There isn’t too many silly multi, multi-millionaires around the world; you’ve got to be clever. He’s a clever man and he’s probably weighed it up. 

“He’s been in football a long time and he thinks ‘right, if I spend £50million for another centre-forward, how close is that going to bring me to Man City? We’re not going to win the league’. 

“I think they’re just trying to get through this season, hopefully get in the top four which I think is going to be very difficult at the moment, and then reassess where they go after that. 

“January is not a good time and I think they’re just sorting out a stop-gap at the moment with the names that are coming around. 

“I think if they get one of those in then I think Batshuayi will go, even if he gets a hat-trick today.”