5 players who could replace Romelu Lukaku at Chelsea
Romelu Lukaku failed to conjure up anything of note in Chelsea's 1-1 draw against Brighton & Hove Albion on Tuesday. The Belgian international has now gone four successive matches without a goal.
It is evidently not the right way to endear yourself to your club's fans, especially after you've completely undermined them in an interview not long ago.
Romelu Lukaku has not been able to live up to the hype at Chelsea
Chelsea are now third in the Premier League table with 44 points in 23 matches. League leaders Manchester City have a 12 point lead over them and also have a game in hand. Suffice to say, Chelsea's title challenge could draw to a close quite soon.
Even worse, if Romelu Lukaku and co. don't improve, they might find themselves fighting for a top four spot.
The 28-year-old's return to Chelsea has not gone to plan at all. His interview with Sky Sports, where he openly discussed his love for Inter Milan and indifference towards Chelsea, has not gone down well with fans.
After all, Romelu Lukaku is Chelsea's most expensive signing of all time. He is expected to be offloaded in the summer with his on-field form being abysmal as well. Lukaku was booed off the pitch by Chelsea fans after a poor performance in their latest game against Brighton.
Without further ado, let's take a look at five players who could replace Romelu Lukaku at Chelsea.
#5 Mauro Icardi (Paris Saint-Germain)
It wasn't very long ago that Mauro Icardi was one of the best strikers in Europe. But since joining Paris Saint-Germain in 2019, Icardi's form has dipped significantly. In his six years at Inter Milan between 2013 and 2019, Icardi scored 124 goals and provided 29 assists in 219 appearances across all competitions.
In three seasons at PSG, he has scored 38 goals and provided 10 assists in 84 appearances. The 28-year-old has fallen down the pecking order at PSG following the arrival of Lionel Messi last summer. He is looking for a way out and could yet revive his career at a club where he will get regular game time.
PSG are unlikely to play hard ball if Chelsea go knocking on their doors for Icardi this summer. It would be hard to do much worse than what Romelu Lukaku is doing at Chelsea at the moment.
#PSG There are no negotiations on Paris Saint-Germain side to sell Mauro Icardi in January. Situation still quiet - no proposals on the table and no talks opened with any other striker to replace him. 🇦🇷 #PSG
Also, Icardi didn't ask to be sold as of now... and he starts tonight.
#4 Patrick Schick (Bayer Leverkusen)
Patrick Schick stole the limelight at Euro 2020 with some mesmerizing displays for the Czech Republic. He scored five goals in five appearances in the continental competition and was one of the stars of the tournament.
Schick has tapped into the same vein this term and has been one of the best strikers in Europe. He has scored 18 goals and provided three assists in 16 Bundesliga appearances so far this season.
Like Romelu Lukaku, Schick is tall and strong. He is also slightly more effective at aerial duels than his counterpart. The 25-year-old is also a hard worker. He won't cost Chelsea a fortune, with Bayer Leverkusen reportedly valuing him at €45 million.
Lukas Hradecky gives Patrick Schick his Bundesliga Player of the Month award 🤩 https://t.co/rzkfo1MsNl