Chelsea sign Gonzalo Higuain on loan from Juventus for the remainder of the season

The former Rover Plate, Real Madrid and Napoli star, who has scored eight times while on loan at AC Milan this season, will wear the number nine shirt at Stamford Bridge.

Higuain's move reunites him with Blues head coach Maurizio Sarri, for whom he scored 36 goals in 35 Serie A games during the 2015-16 season at Napoli.

The 31-year-old won't be available for their Carabao Cup semi-final second leg but will no doubt boost their firepower for the rest of the campaign.

He told the club's website: "When the opportunity to join Chelsea presented itself I had to take it. It's a team I've always liked that has a lot of history, a wonderful stadium and they play in the Premier League, a league I've always wanted to play in.

"I now hope I can give back that trust Chelsea have shown me out on the pitch. I can't wait to start and I hope to adapt as soon as possible."

Scroll down for Higuain's career stats and records

Gonzalo Higuain career stats & records (via Opta)

• Since the start of the 2006-07 season, Gonzalo Higuain has scored 224 goals in 382 games in the big five European leagues (107 in La Liga and 117 in Serie A). In this period, only five players have scored more league goals than the Argentinian. The others are Lionel Messi (394 goals in 412 games), Cristiano Ronaldo (391 in 413), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (245 in 333), Edinson Cavani (242 in 391), Sergio Aguero (227 in 400), Luis Suarez (194 in 259), Robert Lewandowski (191 in 274), Karim Benzema (176 in 389), Antonio Di Natale (176 in 317).
• Of the six players to have scored 200+ goals in the big five European leagues since the start of 2006-07, only Lionel Messi (20.94%) has a better shot conversion rate than Gonzalo Higuain (19.96%).
• Gonzalo Higuain has scored 20+ goals in five different seasons in the big five European leagues – since the start of the 2006-07 season, only four players have done so on more occasions to date (10 – Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, 6 – Robert Lewandowski and Sergio Aguero).
• In the 21st Century, Gonzalo Higuain is one of only three players to have scored 100+ goals in more than one of the big five European leagues, managing 117 in Serie A and 107 in La Liga. The others are Edinson Cavani (130 Ligue 1 & 112 Serie A) and Zlatan Ibrahimovic (113 Ligue 1 & 122 Serie A).
• Gonzalo Higuain has scored 34 goals in major European competitions, with 22 of those coming in the Champions League and the other 12 in the Europa League.
• Gonzalo Higuain’s move to Chelsea will see him reunite with his former manager Maurizio Sarri. It was under the Italian coach in 2015-16 when Higuain scored 36 league goals for Napoli; the most by a player in a single season in Serie A history.
• The season in which Higuain broke the Serie A scoring record (2015-16), he started 29 games for Napoli alongside teammate Jorginho. The current Chelsea midfielder also assisted two of Higuain’s goals in the competition that season.

Higuain's arrival means Spanish striker Alvaro Morata is now expected to leave west London.

Manager Sarri believes former Real Madrid man Higuain can contribute more than just goals as the Blues battle for a top-four Premier League finish and Champions League qualification.

"It's very difficult in January to find one of the most important strikers in the world. So I think the club is working very well because it's not easy to get a new striker," said Sarri.

"We hope he'll bring goals, that he starts scoring for us. He's also very good at other aspects, other than just goals, but that's what we are hoping for.

"He has had some difficulties recently, but we're hoping we can raise him back to his best form."

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