Chelsea stars pick £50m signing they want Tuchel to make after Lukaku exit

Chelsea's stars have reportedly told manager Thomas Tuchel they want the club to sign Richarlison to replace Romelu Lukaku.

The Belgium international, 29, is set to re-join Inter Milan on a season-long loan after a disappointing campaign under Tuchel last season. He's scored just eight Premier League goals for the Blues since his £97.5million move from Inter last August.

Inter have agreed a £7m loan fee with Chelsea for Lukaku and he's accepted a huge pay cut to make the move happen - with his weekly wage dropping from £325,000 to £210,000. The striker was prolific during his last spell at Inter, scoring 64 goals in 95 games.

Chelsea will need to find a replacement for Lukaku and, according to The Sun, the squad have asked Tuchel to sign Richarlison. The Everton talisman, 25, is widely regarded as one of the best Premier League players not currently representing a so-called "Big Six" club.

Richarlison has scored 53 goals in 152 games for the Toffees since joining the club in the summer of 2018. He played a crucial role in keeping Frank Lampard's side in the Premier League last term, even scoring the winner in the 1-0 home victory against Chelsea.

Richarlison is also an established international and expected to lead Brazil's World Cup bid this summer. He was part of the squad that won the Copa America in 2019 and Gold at last summer's Olympics in Japan. Brazil are among the favourites to win the World Cup.

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Chelsea are believed to be considering a number of attacking options amid Lukaku's impending departure, including Manchester City ace Raheem Sterling and Barcelona star Ousmane Dembele. Yet it appears Richarlison is the squad's first-choice target.

The Brazilian reportedly wants to leave Everton and a move to Stamford Bridge would allow him to play Champions League football. He's got two years left on his existing deal. Richarlison has previously played for America Mineiro, Fluminense and Watford.

Tuchel is expected to have more say over transfers this summer following the departure of director Marina Granovskaia. Chelsea have officially announced the transfer guru will leave Stamford Bridge this summer following weeks of speculation.

The news comes less than a month since Todd Boehly's consortium completed a takeover of the Premier League club. Long-serving chairman Bruce Buck will also quit his role with Boehly becoming the interim sporting director while a new hierarchy is established.

"As custodians of Chelsea FC, we now begin executing our long-term vision and plan for the Club, creating an outstanding experience for its passionate, loyal fans, and continuing to challenge for top honours in line with Chelsea FC's decorated history," said Boehly.

"Working together, side-by-side, we are firmly committed to winning, both on and off the pitch. For us, that effort has begun... we thank Marina for her many years of excellent service to the Club and wish her all the best in her future ventures."