Chelsea have a series of crucial decisions to make in order to ensure they have a striker capable of leading the club to silverware over the coming years.
After the disappointment of Timo Werner last season, the Blues splashed out £97.5million on Belgian forward Romelu Lukaku.
However, despite the 28-year-old hitting the ground running upon his return to Stamford Bridge, the former Inter Milan star’s future is now in jeopardy.
Speaking in an interview with Sky Italia, Lukaku revealed that he was unhappy working under manager Thomas Tuchel and how much he would like to return to the San Siro.
He also revealed that he would never be a Chelsea striker currently if Inter were to have offered him a contract over the summer.
The saga has left Tuchel’s side in limbo. If they are to close the gap in quality between themselves and Premier League leaders Manchester City then they need a reliable, top-quality striker, and will need to cut ‘bad eggs’ from their side.
Therefore, it would be no surprise to see Lukaku shown the exit at the end of the season.
Norwegian striker Erling Haaland has been linked with a move away from Borussia Dortmund in the summer when his £63m release clause becomes active, and Chelsea were dubbed as one of the frontrunners to secure his signature.
But despite flourishing in the Bundesliga and performing just as well in the Champions League, the Evening Standard have revealed that the Blues have put the brakes on any interest.
There is said to be concern from some at the club that Haaland may not adapt to the Premier League nor have the same impact that he has enjoyed in Germany. Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester United and Manchester City have all been linked with the 21-year-old.
Another option for the Blues is bringing back English striker Tammy Abraham.
The 24-year-old moved to Jose Mourinho ’s Roma before this season after finding his opportunities under Tuchel become limited rather suddenly, and he is flourishing in the Serie A with 10 goals and three assists in 22 league appearances.
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It has been revealed that the former Aston Villa loanee has a £66m buyback clause in his contract, but Chelsea will only be able to re-sign their academy graduate from the summer of 2023 onwards.
The Blues may opt to wait until next year to bring back Abraham, though by that time the striker could be settled in Italy and not want to leave, or they could put all their trust in another star who has raised through their ranks – Armando Broja.
The Albanian has impressed out on loan at Southampton and Ralph Hasenhuttl is keen to sign the 20-year-old permanently, with a bid from the Saints being rejected over the summer.
Chelsea are reportedly very keen on Broja and see him as a long-term option in the final third, and they could be forced to fast-forward their plans if they need a striker for the next campaign.
Broja has scored five in 18 league appearances, though that doesn’t do justice to just how important the striker has been for the Saints this season.
Tuchel, Roman Abramovich and other members of the team must prioritise a serious conversation about their striker options for the coming seasons and how they are to approach the four aforementioned situations.
