There are rumors that Thomas Tuchel is looking to add another forward to his squad before Thursday's transfer deadline.

For teams who got off to a rough start or have yet to bolster their roster, the last two days of the transfer window are usually a mad dash.

There have been complaints in the past about the transfer market being open into the first few weeks of the season, but keeping it open until the beginning of September has more advantages.

Having an extra 48 hours and a little to wrap off their business with Thomas Tuchel may still be beneficial to Chelsea. There has been a lot of turnover at Stamford Bridge this past year, with key personnel leaving and the club's ownership changing, both of which have slowed the Blues' recruiting efforts.

A number of high-profile first-team players have recently joined the club, including Raheem Sterling, Kalidou Koulibaly, and Marc Cucurella (with Wesley Fofana's arrival expected to be announced soon), while Carney Chukwuemeka is at the head of a group of young players who have been purchased with the expectation that they will one day contribute to the first team.

But Chelsea isn't finished yet, and they have plans to bolster their offense.

Both Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Wilfried Zaha's names have been bandied around as potential targets for Tuchel's assault.

With Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner having left the club since the conclusion of the previous campaign, the West London side's lack of game-winners in recent seasons has been shocking.

Since both Aubameyang and Zaha generally fit into Tuchel's aim to overhaul his offense, it comes as no surprise that the two are connected.

Arguments in favor of and against Aubameyang

Aubameyang, who joined Barcelona in February, is already being considered as a potential trade chip in the club's ongoing quest for revenue.

While Lukaku was not the goal scoring certainty Chelsea needed last season, the Gabon international scored 13 times in 23 games across all competitions in the second half of the year.

Although both Tuchel and Auba have developed since their time together at Borussia Dortmund (2015-2017), Auba has the benefit of having worked under Tuchel throughout that time.

That being said, the former Arsenal player fills a major need for the Stamford Bridge club, whose lack of a true goal scorer might threaten their success this season.

To get the most out of the striker, though, Chelsea will need to provide him with excellent service, which is uncertain given the team's greater problems in producing quality opportunities on a frequent basis.

In their first four games, Tuchel's players have had seven great opportunities (six from open play), which is worrying given their lack of inventiveness. The current Premier League position of 12th highlights this shortcoming.

It's also possible that the striker's age and salary demands may make or break the transfer talks.

The Blues are apparently only willing to give the 33-year-old a two-year deal, despite the player's desire for a three-year deal. This is a reasonable position to take in case the center forward fails to live up to his potential.

The fact that Armando Broja seems to be highly respected at Chelsea makes it difficult to imagine a future for the Albanian if Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is signed to a long-term deal.

The striker's departure from Arsenal will be noted by the Blues, as will his 12-18 month decline in performance following a promising start in North London.

Reasons for and against Zaha

Zaha has made no secret of his ambition to play at the greatest level, so it's no surprise that a move to Chelsea would pique his interest.

This is in no way meant as a criticism on Crystal Palace, the team for whom the winger-turned-striker has become famous after being the first player in the club's history to score 50 goals in the Premier League (a feat he reached after scoring in a 2-0 win at Manchester City in October 2021).

Since his move to Manchester United in the early 2010s fell through, the Ivory Coast international has sought to show he could succeed at a higher level.

There was never any real movement on rumors that the fierce striker would join Jose Mourinho at Roma, and a 2019 transfer to Arsenal never happened.

Tuchel's moves this summer indicated he wanted to add a forward who could draw in defenders and then beat them before creating, shooting, or otherwise opening up the field for the Blues.

As a result, Leeds United agreed to a deal with the two-time defending European champions, and rumors circulated that Chelsea was interested in Ousmane Dembele, who ultimately decided to remain at Barcelona, and Raphinha, who rejected a transfer to West London for a dream switch to the Blaugrana.

Zaha's Premier League experience, one-on-one scoring prowess, and the versatility to play across the frontline are all qualities that Chelsea's manager values and might help the club.

With less than a year remaining on his current deal, Palace have limited bargaining power this summer and may be willing to chat to their London rivals about extending his contract to keep their star player from becoming a free agent in 2023.

While Zaha checks several boxes for Tuchel's Blues, his injury history may cause the club to reconsider a move for the 30-year-old forward in November.

Because of the aforementioned issues, Chelsea are definitely frantic in the last days of the window as they try to strengthen a team that no longer has immediate hopes to rival Manchester City and Liverpool but secure a Champions League position.

Although Aubameyang and Zaha are not of the same caliber, they provide options for a Blues team desperate for bodies and skill in the attacking third, so it seems like it's either them or nobody.