Loïc Rémy is home at last

Loïc Rémy has bounced around for the entirety of his career. The French striker played for four clubs in France, including Lyon and Marseille, prior to moving to England in 2013 and joining Queens Park Rangers. Rémy flashed his brilliance for QPR, but he was loaned out to Newcastle United the following season. Just after the commencement of the 2014-15 campaign, Rémy finalized a four-year deal with English heavyweight Chelsea F.C.

After spending years as a European football nomad, Rémy appears to have finally found his home. He is thriving in José Mourinho’s system and has already established himself as a catalyst for this attack.

Capable of scoring in a variety of ways, Rémy is proving that he will be an asset for the Blues moving forward. The 28-year-old is showing the faithful at Stamford Bridge that he is absolutely lethal in front of goal and that he also brings a well-rounded skill set to the table. Rémy is a proven goal scorer. When he does not start games, he is an adequate “super sub” for star forward Diego Costa, who is also enjoying a fantastic first season in London.

The biggest question moving forward will be whether or not Rémy can break into the squad as a consistent member of the starting XI.

Mourinho’s midfield is absolutely stacked, with Cesc Fàbregas, Oscar, Willian, Eden Hazard, Nemanja Matić, Ramires and new Fiorentina signing Juan Cuadrado all contributing on a regular basis. With this stable of midfielders at his disposal, Mourinho tends to line up with five in the midfield and play with only one true striker up top. Costa is the preferred forward at this point, but Rémy’s steady improvement has undoubtedly impressed his manager.

Rémy is incredibly valuable because the team essentially does not lose anything when he replaces Diego Costa. Costa has been working through lingering hamstring issues this season, so Rémy’s services have been quite necessary. At 6’1”, 176 pounds, he is essentially the same size as Costa. Fellow striker Didier Drogba is also a physical specimen, so both Drogba and Rémy serve as viable replacements for Costa from a physicality standpoint. Like Drogba, Rémy is also capable of turning on the afterburners and leaving defenders in the dust, making him a nightmare to mark.

The Frenchman made his Chelsea debut on September 13, 2014, in a match against Swansea. He replaced Diego Costa in the 72nd minute, but it took him just nine minutes of game action to log his first goal in a Chelsea jersey, as he slotted a low shot into the bottom corner to extend Chelsea’s lead to 4-1. The team went on to win 4-2, but the real victory of the day for the Blues was the realization that they had acquired a top-notch striker.

Rémy started the UEFA Champions League match against Maribor on October 21, but he pulled up with an injury after scoring in the 13^th minute. Though he was forced to exit the match early, he still managed to find the back of the net in his short time on the pitch.

Rémy has a knack for scoring goals regardless of how much time he spends on the field. When facing Tottenham on December 3 in a Premier League fixture, Mourinho turned to Rémy to sub into the game. Rémy trotted onto the pitch in the 67th minute and managed to find the back of the net just six minutes later to seal a 3-0 Chelsea victory.

Another win for the leaders of the Premier League. Another clutch goal from No. 18.

The speedy forward is not only a goal scorer, but he is also a dynamic playmaker in the final third, as he is capable of swinging in threatening crosses. Rémy is constantly asking questions of opposing defenses, sometimes purely based on his excellent movement off the ball.

He scored a massive goal to draw first blood against Manchester City on Jan. 31, as he crashed the net and tapped in a beautifully-played ball from Eden Hazard. His fluidity is clearly blending with Chelsea’s combination play in the final third, which is a terrifying premise for opposing defenses.

Rémy occasionally drops into deep positions to receive the ball, giving him the option to hold the ball up and combine with trailing midfielders. He will, however, sometimes elect to take it and go himself, as he can easily shake the first would-be tackler by turning on a dime and exploding into the space ahead of him. This is a guy who can absolutely fly when he has nothing but green grass in front of him.

In and around the 18-yard box, Rémy finds open spaces and anticipates passes from teammates exceptionally well. He is physical when chasing down through balls and has no problem bodying defenders. Likewise, he is a savvy finisher and is cold-blooded in front of goal.

Chelsea’s 4-2-3-1 formation does not lend itself to a Costa-Rémy duo up top, but the Frenchman should only see his role in the team increase as he continues to play at such a high level.

Rémy has been featured in the starting lineup in just seven games in all competitions for José Mourinho’s side thus far, but he has found the back of the net five times and has looked menacing every step of the way. The French striker may be labeled as a goal scorer, but he is so much more to this team.

Rémy should only see his minutes increase as the season wears on, as he looks the part and certainly has the potential to become an integral part of the Blues’ offense for years to come.

Josh Cohen is a freshman majoring in broadcast and digital journalism. His column, “The SCoreboard,” runs Mondays.