Romelu Lukaku has struggled at Chelsea following his return to Stamford Bridge last summer. As reports continue to suggest that the Belgian is looking at a return to Milan, Chelsea will need to act swiftly if they are to sign an ideal replacement.
However, there are plenty of ways Chelsea can adapt to losing Lukaku, and that doesn’t always mean signing a direct replacement. Here are three options for Chelsea to replace Lukaku with.
Utilise Cobham
Armando Broja has impressed throughout his loan spell at Southampton, prompting pundits and fans into suggesting that the young Albanian striker should be given his chance at Chelsea.
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Broja still has plenty of development to do, as is customary with any young player, but if Chelsea are to give him an extended chance in rotation with Kai Havertz, then the club will be able to spend money in positions where, arguably, the money is needed to be spent more urgently.
If Chelsea allow Armando Broja and Conor Gallagher into the first team fold, then Chelsea can focus their attention on a central defensive midfielder and a central defender, or two. Chelsea require support in multiple positions, arguably with the talent already available in the striker position, the money earned from a Lukaku sale could be better used elsewhere in the squad.
New winger
Many Chelsea fans will attest that Chelsea require a winger suited to Tuchel’s tactical system. Timo Werner has found some form recently, but his inconsistency throughout his Chelsea career has been problematic. Both Callum Hudson-Odoi and Hakim Ziyech have shone at points too, but they have also failed to hold down a starting position long-term for various reasons.
Additionally, Mason Mount is arguably better suited at the spearhead of the midfield rather than as an inside forward, despite his impressive season. Rumours have surfaced recently linking Chelsea with a move for Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele who enjoyed his time with Tuchel in Dortmund. Furthermore, Chelsea were considered frontrunners for Raphinha’s signature earlier this year.
Tuchel’s long term tactical plans remain under wraps for now. However, if he is looking to play with more conventional wide forwards, then replacing Lukaku with a top level winger could be exactly what Chelsea need to unlock the full potential of the attack.
Big signing
Whilst Erling Haaland looks set to sign for Manchester City, Chelsea could still sign a world-leading forward to take the reins from Lukaku.
Darwin Nunez has continually impressed for Benfica, whilst João Félix seems to be the name on the top of the list for a portion of the Chelsea fanbase. Equally, Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski is turning heads, with it looking increasingly likely his future may lie away from the Allianz Arena.
Undoubtedly Chelsea will be spending some money this summer as Liverpool and Manchester City continue to pull ahead in the race for the Premier League title. All that remains is to see where the money is spent.
