Chelsea are set to be one of the busiest clubs in the Premier League this summer as they look to plug plenty of gaps in their first-team squad, including in attack.
Romelu Lukaku was only brought to Stamford Bridge a year ago, with a club-record £97.5million splashed on the striker, but it is a move that has fallen flat. Lukaku revealed he would have rather remained at Inter Milan in an ill-judged interview over the festive period and there was no way back.
The 29-year-old is expected to return to the San Siro in the coming days with a loan deal reportedly agreed between the two sides for the 2022/23 campaign. While new defenders and midfielders are also on the agenda, finding a new leading striker will now be added to the growing to-do list for the summer.
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One name to be linked with Chelsea is Everton striker Richarlison. The 25-year-old scored 11 goals in a struggling Everton side last term, narrowly dragging the Toffees to Premier League safety and also attracting the interest of the Arsenal and Tottenham in the process. But with Richarlison's compatriot and Brazil teammate Thiago Silva in the Blues' ranks, they may hold an advantage.
He gave his verdict on the Chelsea fan-favourite back in 2020 while Silva still played for Paris Saint-Germain. It came after he was asked about Virgil Van Dijk being the best defender in the world after the Liverpool ace claimed third place in the Ballon d'Or rankings.
When asked about Van Dijk in an interview with Brazilian YouTube channel Desimpedidos, via talkSPORT, Richarlison said: "People talk a lot about him, yes he is a great defender but I’ve already dribbled past him. He was chosen as one of the top three in the world as he had an excellent season. But yes, for me there are better defenders."
When asked to name those he thinks are better than Van Dijk, Richarlison replied: "Thiago Silva, Marquinhos and Sergio Ramos."
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