Romelu Lukaku’s Exit Isn’t The Only Thing That Will Change The Look Of Chelsea’s Attack

The common belief was that Romelu Lukaku would be the final piece of the puzzle for Chelsea. Thomas Tuchel made an immediate impact at Stamford Bridge, leading the club to Champions League glory just a few months after his appointment, but Chelsea seemingly needed a reliable goalscorer to lead the line.

A year on and Lukaku is on his way back out of Chelsea with a return to Inter on loan expected to be confirmed in the coming days. The Belgian, who cost £98m, scored just eight goals in 26 PremierPINC
League appearances last season and was dropped to the bench for the final stage of the campaign.

However, it’s not just Lukaku’s impending exit that will change the look of Chelsea’s attack. Indeed, Tuchel wants to rebuild his frontline ahead of the 2022/23 season with Raphinha and Raheem Sterling believed to be on the radar of the Stamford Bridge outfit. Chelsea want to change their approach in the final third.

By the looks of it, Tuchel wants players who can carry the ball in moments of quick transition. Raphinha, who is also desired by Arsenal and Barcelona, is one of the best dribblers in the Premier League right now and just completed a season that saw him register 11 goals and three assists in 35 games for relegation-threatened Leeds United.

Raphinha’s off-the-ball work also makes him attractive to Chelsea with the Brazilian quick to help out on the defensive side of the ball. His arrival at Stamford Bridge would make the Blues a more dynamic, modern team. Raphinha could be the perfect wide forward for Tuchel and his Chelsea system.

Sterling is entering the final year of his contract at Manchester City and might be ready for a new challenge in his career. There is some debate over where the England international is most effective on the pitch, but his goalscoring record speaks for itself – Sterling has scored 91 goals in 225 Premier League appearances for City.

The signing of Lukaku from Inter last summer was meant to give Chelsea a reliable centre forward who could be counted on to score at least 20 goals every season. After all, the Belgian had scored goals for fun over two seasons in Serie A. Now, though, it appears Tuchel wants to find goals in other areas.

Kai Havertz offers Chelsea a lot as a centre forward, but the German isn’t a natural goalscorer, although he is adding cutting edge to his game. This is where Sterling could be extremely useful, such is his instinct for getting on the end of chances inside the penalty box. In the right team, Sterling could feasibly score 20 goals in a single season – he’s done it before.

Chelsea are building for a new future on and off the pitch. There is a new owner in place at Stamford Bridge following the departure of Roman Abramovich while Tuchel needs at least one new central defender before the start of the new season. But it’s his attacking vision that could change Chelsea the most.