Chelsea could get rid of striker Romelu Lukaku for good this summer in a swap deal for one club's "big" and "mobile" number nine, according to a report this week.
Boehly eyeing new centre-forward for Chelsea
Chairman Todd Boehly and the wider Blues recruitment team are reported to be eyeing a new striker for manager Mauricio Pochettino next season if the head coach does indeed stay on that long.
Chelsea sources coy over target as Todd Boehly puts club chiefs to work
He could be “one to watch”.
ByEmilio GalantiniMar 19, 2024
The Blues have languished in mid-table for the majority of this season, with Pochettino under mounting pressure, and you could argue that a real factor in that has been Chelsea's lack of a 25-plus goal-per-season forward.
Nicolas Jackson has impressed in flashes but arguably isn't quite the finished article just yet, with the majority of Chelsea's goals coming courtesy of summer signing Cole Palmer.
Cole Palmer
11
Nicolas Jackson
9
Raheem Sterling
6
Mykhailo Mudryk
4
Enzo Fernandez
3
This has led to reports that Napoli striker Victor Osimhen is firmly on the Chelsea agenda heading into this summer, among other striking options, and the club have been urged to sign another centre-forward.
"How many times have Chelsea gone down that route of signing an experienced striker?" said pundit Pat Nevin to OCB Scores (via The Metro).
"You think of the certain strikers that Chelsea have signed in the latter stages of their career, the likes of Shevchenko, I could go through a number of them.
"If you are creating a number of chances which Chelsea are, maybe you just need someone who can put the ball in the net. Evan Ferguson would be the more obvious one to go for. If you’re going down the route of signing a young striker, Ferguson would be the one I would look at.
"Someone is needed upfront because when we’re asking Cole Palmer, Chelsea’s best player, to play upfront with his back to goal, of course he can do it but you’re putting your best player out of position."
One striker signing for Chelsea which certainly hasn't worked out is Lukaku, who is currently on loan at Roma and actually playing pretty well, which could give them hope in finding a permanent suitor for the Belgian this summer.
Roma themselves may well want to take that option after his impressive 23/24 season, and it is now suggested that a familiar striker could come the other way to sweeten a deal.
Suggestion Chelsea could sign Abraham in Lukaku swap deal
That is according to Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport, who are currently unwilling to pay the £37 million needed to sign Lukaku, on £325,000-a-week.
As a result, the idea of a discount, with Tammy Abraham returning to Chelsea, is "on the table". Indeed, a Chelsea swap deal for Abraham with Lukaku going the other way is apparently possible.
The Englishman has been out for the entirety of this season with an ACL injury, but has impressed in Serie A with Roma in prior seasons – netting 17 league goals over the 2021/2022 season. Abraham has also been called a "big" and "mobile" striker by pundit Kevin Campbell (Football Insider).