Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho is looking to bring in a striker this summer with a "killer instinct" that can help take his side to the next level.
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Mourinho has long lamented his attackers' troubles in front of goal and has indicated his desire to land a prolific goalscorer next term.
Atletico Madrid's Diego Costa is reportedly the club's primary target, with Fernando Torres returning to his former side in part-exchange believed to be a possibility.
As well as helping Chelsea match their formidable record against the Premier League's elite, the new forward will be expected to help break the deadlock against struggling teams such as Norwich, whose 0-0 draw at Stamford Bridge on Sunday saw the Blues concede further ground to Manchester City and Liverpool in the table.
"Against the teams that are more defensive, more aggressive, more worried about trying to keep a clean sheet than really to play, we keep saying the same,'' Mourinho told Chelsea TV.
"We have good players, but we don't have the kind of striker able to, in a short space, to make an action, to score a goal, to open the gate. In these kind of matches you just need to open the gate. When you open the gate, the gate is open and you win much more. We weren't able to do that.
"We have to try to win as a team, to improve as a team, but also add the attacking player with that killer instinct and the number of goals that push teams to different levels.
"It's something our club is going to try [to do], respecting obviously that we have good strikers.''
This season the Blues have beaten Manchester City twice, Liverpool twice and taken four points from matches with Arsenal, Everton, Tottenham and Manchester United, but recent defeats to Aston Villa, Crystal Palace, Sunderland and the draw with Norwich have proved costly.
"It's much more difficult to get results against the big teams,'' Mourinho added. "Mentally you have to be stronger, by the strategic point of view you have to be stronger too.
"When we have that amazing record against the top teams, I think it's a fantastic achievement and a good base to start next season.''
Chelsea's home record reads played 19, won 15, drawn three and lost one -- the controversial defeat to Sunderland which saw Mourinho relinquish his 77-match unbeaten league record at home.
"If you forget the Sunderland festival, because for me it was not a football game, it was a festival, the [home] record was good,'' Mourinho said. "We lost six points at home, with three draws, which is still a good record.
"The matches with the top teams, the record is really amazing, difficult to repeat next season even if, like we expect, we are stronger.''