As Chelsea and Inter Milan go back and forth in negotiations for Romelu Lukaku, the Blues must not lose focus on their next transfer move. Jules Kounde and Ousmane Dembele have been linked with moves to Stamford Bridge and it feels like in a matter of days, announcements will be made on their respective futures. The question now is who will replace Lukaku this summer? Could Everton's Richarlison be an option?
The Brazilian forward could be making an exit from Frank Lampard's squad this summer and, according to the Daily Mail, Frank Lampard is already eyeing up a replacement. The idea of Chelsea signing Richarlison is not so bad; last season, the 25-year-old gave his all to help keep Everton out of the relegation zone despite his complications with injuries. He is a tough player and a resilient individual the Blues could benefit from.
According to UOL, if Richarlison was to leave the Merseyside this summer, he would prefer Chelsea over Real Madrid. If that's not enough incentive to go after him, I don't know what is.
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Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham have all been offered Richarlison this summer. As he will be entering his penultimate year on his contract with the Toffees next season, it could be a case of now or never for Lampard to secure a good deal.
As much as the thought of Kai Havertz leading the Chelsea attack next season sounds appealing, it is also not the best-case scenario that Chelsea could find themselves in. The German international often comes in clutch on the occasions where it matters, but also has his shortcomings in front of goal.
It comes down to the fact that naturally, he plays much deeper than a number nine is expected to. Having played in every attacking position since joining Chelsea in 2020, Thomas Tuchel decided he preferred the German as a striker. He is still far from the 20-plus goals a season expectation and it makes me wonder if this is the best option for Havertz, or if it's merely papering over the cracks.
Chelsea have struggled to find the correct profile of striker since Antonio Conte's surprising dismissal of Diego Costa in 2017. The likes of Alvaro Morata, Tammy Abraham and Romelu Lukaku haven't worked out for various reasons – Richarlison could turn our misfortune around.
Given the correct players around him coupled with Thomas Tuchel's coaching, there's no telling how far the Brazilian can take the Blues going forward. He may not have a prolific goal-scoring record like other strikers have had before coming to Chelsea but he has shown a level of resilience that you just cannot train into a player. Something Lukaku arguably lacked last season.
football.london understands Tottenham's managing director of football, Fabio Paratici is a fan of Richarlison. With Spurs already signing Ivan Perisic and Yves Bissouma so far this summer, it is imperative that they do not get another player across the line before Chelsea does, especially if the Blues are linked with said player. The rivalry doesn't stop on the pitch, it's very much so still alive in the transfer window.
