Aubameyang: Hasselbaink backs Chelsea striker to bag 20-plus goals this season
Chelsea legend Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink has backed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to outshine both Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner by hitting the 20-goal mark this season.
The last striker to hit 20 league goals for the Blues was Diego Costa in the club’s title-winning season in 2016-17 and, Hasselbaink - who netted 70 Premier League goals in 136 games for Chelsea - believes the former Arsenal captain can achieve the same levels under Graham Potter.
Chelsea signed Aubameyang on the deadline day of the transfer window after letting both Werner and Lukaku leave after they failed to settle at Stamford Bridge.
"Aubameyang can score 20-plus goals," Hasselbaink told SafeBettingSites, as quoted by The Mirror.
"He will score as he is different to Lukaku, he is different to Werner. They’re different kinds of players. He's better in small areas. Is his movement going to improve? Yeah, I think the sharper he is going to become, the sharper his movement is going to be.
"You can see that he's not there yet with a few times offside, but with time it will get sharper and that will come.
"He has only played two matches. He has not hit the back of the net yet, but that will come. You don't become a bad player overnight."
The former Burton Albion manager was hopeful the departure of Thomas Tuchel will not affect Aubameyang’s performance going forward.
"He did sign for Chelsea because Tuchel was there, but as a footballer, it happens that managers come and go," the 50-year-old added.
"I think he's going to embrace it and I think Potter will embrace him as well. I don't see any problem really.
"His career will keep on going and he needs to produce like any other player, and I don't think that is a problem.
Hasselbaink went on to offer his assessment of Chelsea’s trophy targets for the end of the season.
"Have they got a squad to go and become champions? Not yet," he concluded.
"Have they got a squad to get in the top four and compete for an FA Cup, or get far in the Champions League? Yes.
"Are they going to win the Champions League? They're not favourites, I don't think that they are. But a successful season would be finishing in the top four and winning a cup this year."