Prospective buyers of Chelsea must prepare themselves for a hectic summer transfer window at Stamford Bridge, should their bids prevail. Several players have already been linked to and from the west London side. The change of ownership welcomes a great opportunity to reconsider the futures of fringe players.
Having only been granted three signings since guiding Chelsea to a second European title — of which one was a tertiary goalkeeper and the other an anti-climatic loanee — Thomas Tuchel will be keen to open the new owners' transfer war chest. But, of course, due to financial fair play rules, the Blues may have to sell high-value players to ease the restrictions.
So, Jake Stokes and Anita Abayomi spoke on the Carefree Chelsea show to devise the new Chelsea owners' transfer plan this summer. Stokes began by outlining Romelu Lukaku as the first player who should be shown the exit at the end of the season.
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"It's harsh, but I think Lukaku," he said. "In my books at the moment, he doesn't really have a case to start over [Kai] Havertz, at all. It is harsh, but I think the new owners could get a lot of money for him — I just don't see any reason for Lukaku to start over Havertz at this moment in time.
"Obviously, to the end of the season, his form could pick up, and my mind could change but moving forward with how Tuchel is playing Havertz in that false nine. There's not really much of an attraction to have Lukaku over Havertz."
Stokes references the German international's growing relationship on the pitch with Christian Pulisic, Mason Mount and Hakim Ziyech. The trio have shifted into fifth gear since the turn of the year, spearheading Tuchel's frontline.
"The way you see Havertz link up with the likes of Pulisic, Mount, and Ziyech, it doesn't make sense to start Lukaku, so that's why I'd lean towards selling Lukaku."
Abayomi added by stressing the role Marina Granovskaia could play in deciding Lukaku's future. In the summer, the Chelsea transfer chief brought the Belgian back to Stamford Bridge from Inter Milan for an eye-watering £97.5m.
"If she does not leave the club, then Lukaku is not going anywhere," she said. "We are not going to get good money for him, and we'll probably get what £40m for him?
"It's just not happening. We can dream, and we can hope. I don't think he's been in the best of form, and yeah, Havertz has been playing better, but he's an investment at the end of the day.
"If we're not going to get returns on him, we're going to keep him, and he's going to play for us — that's the harsh reality we got to deal with."
