Jamie Carragher has claimed that Romelu Lukaku will leave Chelsea in the summer unless he can usurp Kai Havertz as the club’s first choice striker. Despite joining for a club record £97.5million last summer, the Belgium striker has failed to establish himself as a first team regular under Thomas Tuchel.
Lukaku has only scored five goals in 19 Premier League appearances this season and has been replaced by Kai Havertz as the focal point of the Blues’ attack. Chelsea appear to be a more fluid and creative side with the former Bayer Leverkusen star leading the line, and Carragher believes if Tuchel persists with starting Havertz as his preferred striker, Lukaku will leave Stamford Bridge in the summer.
"It feels to me like this is the first team Kai Havertz has actually had a real role in this team and hasn’t felt like he’s almost taking somebody’s place," Carragher said whilst discussing the Blues on Monday Night Football. "But I do think there’s big questions, still around Havertz, but also [Romelu] Lukaku.
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"If this situation continues with Havertz as the main striker, I don't think you see Lukaku at Chelsea next season. I think he’d have to move on. I don’t think he’s a guy you could have on the bench and use him sporadically, I think he’d be moving on."
Meanwhile, Carragher insists that Havertz must continue his recent good form in order to keep his place in the side next season. The German international scored the only goal of the game to hand the Blues a 1-0 win over Newcastle on Sunday.
He added: "But if this is Havertz’s chance in terms of being that central striker and playing week-in week-out, I almost feel from now until the end of the season, he’s got to continue the form he’s in right now. Otherwise Chelsea may go and do what they did in the summer and go and buy another Lukaku or another attacking player."
