Does Higuain have the stomach for Premier League fight? Chelsea legend Hasselbaink sees potential fitness 'problem'

Gonzalo Higuain “knows where the back of the net is”, but former Chelsea striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink fears the Argentine’s fitness could be “a little bit of a problem”.

Goal first revealed that the Blues were in the market for the 31-year-old frontman last week.

A deal has now been done, with Higuain moving to Stamford Bridge from Juventus on an initial loan agreement which includes an option to buy.

He arrives in west London with a reputation as one of the most prolific marksmen in European football, with over 250 goals recorded across spells at Real Madrid, Napoli, Juventus and AC Milan.

Chelsea are buying into that pedigree, with Maurizio Sarri having worked with Higuain before in Naples, but Hasselbaink believes a new arrival will have much to prove in English football.

A man who netted 81 times in 169 appearances for the Blues told Sky Sports: “We know that he knows where the back of the net is.

“The only little worry that I have is he's 31, how fit is he? How fit is he to cope in the Premier League? We know that the Premier League is the hardest league in the world, physically you have to be right.

“If he is physically right, he will score goals. If he's not, he will have a little bit of a problem.”

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Higuain’s best season to date came under current Chelsea boss Sarri in 2015-16, when he netted 38 times across all competitions – including 36 efforts in Serie A.

He has broken through the 20-goal barrier in each of the last five campaigns and is considered to offer the finishing qualities and physical presence that has been missing at Stamford Bridge.

Former Blues goalkeeper Schwarzer added on the South American: “He comes across a little bit [Diego] Costa-esque in terms of [he] likes a bit of a scrap, likes a bit of getting his body on the line.

“I think that's something they've definitely missed. They haven't been able to replace that physicality side of the game."

“That's probably one area where I think he will do well in the Premier League with.”

If Higuain impresses over the remainder of the campaign, then Chelsea can snap him up for £31.6 million ($41m).

Juventus have also confirmed that there is an option to extend the duration of his loan until June 2020 for a fee of £15.7 million ($20.5m).

With another frontman brought onto the books by the Blues, they are now waiting on Alvaro Morata to complete the formalities of securing a return to his native Spain at Atletico Madrid.