Cruz Azul had a pitiful Clausura 2017 campaign finishing in eleventh place with 21 points out of a playoff spot. The biggest problem for La Maquina was finding a consistent scorer as Jorge Benitez and Martin Cauteruccio only combined for four goals throughout the competition.
The Mexico City side will need to look for a consistent scorer next season to help the club evade relegation and make the playoffs. Cruz Azul has not made the playoffs in six consecutive tournaments and desperately need to crack into La Liguilla next season. According to various Peruvian news outlets, Paolo Guerrero is in Cruz Azul’s plans for next season.
Guerrero, 33, has had a long and illustrious career, having started his professional career with Bayern Munich and serving as the captain of the Peruvian national team for several years. The veteran is currently with the Brazilian club, Flamengo who he has been with since 2015. Guerrero has been playing in Brazil since 2012 and has been a potent striker in the league and with the Peruvian national team even at his advanced age.
This move is a very risky one as it is unclear if Guerrero will adapt well to the Liga MX. Many players have struggled to adapt in the past like the case of Martin Cauteruccio who was a top scorer in Argentina but only scored one goal with Cruz Azul in the Clausura 2017. It is evident that Cruz Azul must make some key changes heading into next season and maybe Paolo Guerrero is the striker Los Cementeros need.
