Chelsea's search for new attacking players this summer could have a big impact on current squad members and their futures. The Blues are set to completely revamp their squad over the window as Thomas Tuchel looks to close the gap to Liverpool and Manchester City over the 2022/23 season.
To do that, Chelsea's attacking output needs to improve. On plenty of occasions last term, the Blues struggled to create many chances and when they did come around, they were perhaps missing the clinical edge.
That's why Chelsea are now being linked with a host of new attacking options. Richarlison and Raheem Sterling are both top targets for the Blues, football.london understands, with moves being considered for both attackers.
READ MORE: Jules Kounde, Ousmane Dembele - Why Chelsea are yet to sign anyone in the summer transfer window
Tuchel is a big fan of Everton forward Richarlison and believes his physical attributes could make him an ideal fit for the side. Everton, though, will want north of £50million - with close to £75m being spoken about - for the 25-year-old Brazil international, who has also been linked with Tottenham.
Meanwhile, Sterling is another big target for the Blues. The England international has just 12 months remaining on his contract with Manchester City and is open to leaving in a bid for more regular game time.
Chelsea will be trying to land Sterling on a cut-price deal considering his contract situation with the Premier League champions. According to Sky Sports, 'a compromise of around £45m has been loosely floated', with Sterling managing talks over his future himself.
Tuchel already has plenty of options at his disposal and they all possess superb amounts of talent. However, a number of them struggled last term and have therefore been linked with moves away from Stamford Bridge over the coming weeks.
With Richarlison and Sterling perhaps on their way to west London, football.london takes a look at how the current crop of attackers may be impacted by the possible double departure. Let us know what you would do in the comment section at the bottom of this article.
Christian Pulisic
Pulisic was frustrated with his lack of game time last season and that has led to a question mark over his long-term future at Stamford Bridge. The American has been linked with a move away from Chelsea in recent months because of this, but, at the time of writing, there is no determination on either side to push through a move this summer.
Speaking earlier in the month, Pulisic revealed he is excited for a new era at Chelsea under fellow American Todd Boehly. The Blues winger said: "At the end of the season, we were able to meet with them, and they were around the club a lot. They are really good people, so I am excited moving forward."
He may be excited about the future, but if Chelsea were to bring in additions in his position - Sterling and perhaps Ousmane Dembele, for example - it could push him further down the pecking order under Tuchel.
Callum Hudson-Odoi
It's a similar situation with Hudson-Odoi. The 21-year-old wide man, who now has two years remaining on his Chelsea contract, made just 15 appearances in the Premier League last term. Bringing the likes of Sterling, Richarlison or Dembele in will have an impact on his game time should he be fit, there is no doubt about that.
The Cobham graduate struggled with injury problems, mainly in the second half of the season, and the summer presents a huge opportunity to get himself ready for next term. There are no plans for Chelsea to offload Hudson-Odoi over the summer, with the focus purely on getting himself match-fit for the time the first game of the 2022/23 season comes around.
Timo Werner
Chelsea are open to selling Werner this summer if the right offer comes in for the Germany international, football.london understands. The former RB Leipzig forward was wanted by Borussia Dortmund but because he currently earns just short of £14m-per-season at Stamford Bridge, he would need to take a significant pay-cut to move to Signal Iduna Park.
A switch to Dortmund appears to be off the cards right now, but there is an understanding that Werner wants to play more regular football in order to prepare for the FIFA World Cup later this year. That could be away from Chelsea, especially if a winger or two is brought to the club.
Hakim Ziyech
Ziyech is another one that Chelsea would be willing to offload should the right offer arrive their way. The Moroccan struggled to perform consistently last season and that was reflected by the 29-year-old winger being restricted to just 23 appearances in the Premier League.
He usually plays on the right-hand side of a front-three, which would surely be occupied by Dembele should Chelsea get that deal over the line. With the likes of Mason Mount and Kai Havertz still floating about, additions to Tuchel's attacking options could spell bad news for Ziyech. Unconfirmed reports from Italy on Tuesday claimed AC Milan are in 'advanced talks' to sign the Chelsea attacker on a loan deal, with an option to make it permanent.
Armando Broja
West Ham United have been strongly linked with a move for Broja, who spent last season on loan at Southampton. The Albanian impressed overall during his spell with the Saints, meaning his long-term future at Chelsea is uncertain.
A source recently told football.london that Tuchel will assess Broja in pre-season with the German head coach open to giving the striker a fair chance at the Blues. If Richarlison comes in, though, and the fact Havertz has played as the No.9 on many an occasion, it could have a big impact on where Broja's future lies.
