Former Chelsea defender thinks that Tottenham Hotspur-linked Richarlison would suit Thomas Tuchel's style of play better than current striker Romelu Lukaku.
Belgian forward Lukaku has struggled to acclimatise to the Premier League upon his return, finding the net 17 times in 44 appearances. His misfortune in front of goal has cast doubt over his future in west London, though he's still managed to garner interest in his services from several top European sides.
He's subsequently been linked to Bayern Munich, Inter Milan and Tottenham. Sky Italia claim that the Blues have given the green light to his exit, with the 29-year-old reportedly wanting to cut ties with Thomas Tuchel.
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According to reports from Italy, via Sport Witness, the striker wants nothing to do with the Chelsea boss anymore. Ahead of the FA Cup final, Tuchel spoke on Lukaku's future and explained how the club would be willing to evaluate the Belgian's situation.
"I think if he plans to talk with the owner, maybe it is not his plan to talk with me. It's fair enough. Let's see if he gets a meeting! It is his right. We will talk to anybody," the German said of the £59m-rated striker. "We will evaluate any situation of any player, including Romelu. We will see what is going to happen and what the plans are."
Plenty of names have been touted as possible replacements for Lukaku, including Richarlison. However, London rivals Tottenham continue to be linked with a move for the Everton attacker and he's a player that Spurs' managing director of football Fabio Paratici is a fan of, football.london understands.
The indications within Spurs are that nothing is happening right now with regard to making a move for Richarlison, but if they decide to firm up their interest into something more concrete as the window progresses the circumstances this summer could lend themselves towards such a move.
Nevertheless, Johnson thinks that Chelsea should at least consider hijacking the move: “I certainly believe he would suit the way Chelsea play more than Romelu Lukaku,” he told BettingOdds, via the Metro. “Whether he’s good enough to be their main man and get 20 goals a season, then I’m not so sure.
“I do like him though and I think he’s a good player and it could be a sensible move if the fee is reasonable.”
