Enner Valencia faces challenge to end Boca Juniors' striker drought

Ecuadorian striker Enner Valencia is on the verge of officially joining Boca Juniors, having reportedly reached an agreement with the Argentine club. The prolific scorer for the Ecuadorian national team now faces the significant challenge of becoming the consistent attacking force Boca Juniors has been searching for over the past several years.

Since 2016, Boca Juniors has brought in numerous forwards, including notable names like Carlos Tevez, Darío Benedetto, Miguel Merentiel, Edinson Cavani, and Ramón Ábila. While some achieved respectable goal tallies, the club has struggled to find an attacker who can maintain high production levels consistently across multiple seasons. Valencia's arrival is intended to fill this void and establish him as the team's new offensive leader.

Looking at past performance, Carlos Tevez stands out as the club's top scorer since 2016 with 94 goals, though he played various offensive roles. Focusing strictly on center-forward performance, Darío Benedetto remains a key reference with 71 goals in 172 matches, averaging 0.41 goals per game. Miguel Merentiel is noted as the most consistent forward in recent years, with 56 goals. Edinson Cavani's tenure was marked by injuries and inconsistency, despite an acceptable statistical output, leading to fan criticism. Ramón 'Wanchope' Ábila also posted a strong average with 36 goals in 83 games.

However, not all signings have met expectations. Players like Walter Bou and Mauro Zárate showed flashes of talent but never solidified their roles. More disappointing for the fanbase were signings such as Franco Soldano, Norberto Briasco, and Milton Giménez, who significantly underperformed. Valencia is expected to arrive between August 7 and 8 to complete his medical examinations and sign an 18-month contract, aiming to break Boca's recent trend of inconsistent goal-scoring from their number nines.