Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has hinted that the Blues will be in the market for new forwards in the summer transfer window.
Barring a remarkable swing in goal difference on the final day of the Premier League season, Chelsea should clinch third place during the visit of Watford to Stamford Bridge.
The Blues could have officially confirmed their podium spot in midweek but were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Leicester City - leaving them three points clear of Tottenham Hotspur with a superior goal difference.
Tuchel's side squandered numerous opportunities to get the better of the Foxes on the day, and only Mason Mount (11) has hit double figures in Premier League goals this season.
Romelu Lukaku's forgettable first season back in England has seen him strike eight times in the Premier League, while Kai Havertz has netted seven top-flight goals.
Christian Pulisic has made the net ripple in the Premier League six times, while Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech have only done so on four occasions.
Chelsea's league tally of 74 goals is still the third-highest behind Liverpool (91) and Manchester City (96), but Tuchel has admitted that his side are still lacking a ruthless nature to their game.
"If we stick to the group then we will try to solve it with these players," Tuchel told reporters. "Is it necessary to bring more offensive players around the box to create more distractions, to create more space for each other?
"We will ask that question. Can we do better in the structure? Can we push the players more? Did we rotate too much? Let's see. There are a lot of options.
"The numbers we produce from our offensive players don't allow us to over-perform and we need over-performance if we want to be nearer to the top two teams. I am not pointing fingers, I am not blaming anybody, but we need over-performance from everybody. It's not over-performance if we have only single figures in scoring and assisting."
Chelsea are still unable to sign players while sanctioned owner Roman Abramovich remains in charge, and an agreement has been struck for Todd Boehly's consortium to take over, but Tuchel has admitted that the current uncertainty is hindering his side's summer plans.
"We are late because other clubs can take players. Other clubs have ideas and know what quality they want. Other clubs don't want to lose their players. We are a bit behind. But we will try to have our impact. We have a strong opinion on what we need," the German added.
"We have to be fast and smart as soon as the sanctions are lifted. There are good signs and there is progression but actually nothing changes. We are not able to sign our players, speak to our players, and we are not able to sell players or contact players. There's a lot of work to do."
Chelsea were strongly linked with a move for Erling Braut Haaland last summer, but the Norwegian is now confirmed to be swapping Borussia Dortmund for Manchester City.
Barcelona's Ousmane Dembele is still thought to be on the Blues' radar ahead of the expiry of his Blaugrana deal, although Xavi is hopeful that fresh terms can be agreed with the Frenchman.
Meanwhile, Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski - who has announced that he will not be committing to the German champions beyond 2023 - is another alleged target for the London club.
In spite of his struggles this season and bombshell interview last year, Lukaku has supposedly decided that he wants to stay and fight for his future at Chelsea for the 2022-23 season. body check tags ::
