Former Tottenham boss has good news for Chelsea

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - APRIL 29: Harry Redknapp head coach / manager of Birmingham City post match press conference during the Sky Bet Championship match between Birmingham City and Huddersfield Town at St Andrews (stadium) on April 29, 2017 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)
BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - APRIL 29: Harry Redknapp head coach / manager of Birmingham City post match press conference during the Sky Bet Championship match between Birmingham City and Huddersfield Town at St Andrews (stadium) on April 29, 2017 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Chelsea may have a new striker soon

It’s an open secret that Antonio Conte and Chelsea are looking to sign a new striker this summer. The real questions is whether or not the Blues will be successful in acquiring one of their top targets. According to former Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp, the Blues will be able to complete that task.

Redknapp claims he’s been informed that there’s a “strong chance” that Conte will sign Everton centre forward Romelu Lukaku this summer. The talented Belgian left Stamford Bridge two years ago in search of regular first team football. He’s received that at Goodison Park and has poured in goals for the Toffees as a result.

Re-signing the talented striker will still represent a significant financial loss for the Blues. Bringing him back into the fold may cause Chelsea to break the world record for transfer fees. That would have Conte sanctioning a bid higher than the £89 million United paid for Paul Pogba last summer.

That might cause some consternation among Chelsea fans, but it’s simply a product of how the transfer market has changed. Prices will continue to increase every season as long as revenues increase for clubs. In particular, the Premier League’s new television deal will arm English clubs with plenty of money to spend.

More from Chelsea FC

It’s not as if Chelsea were transfer paupers to begin win. Roman Abramovich is willing to arm Conte with whatever money he needs to prepare the club for a serious run at the Champions League title. Conte, for his part, is well aware of his squad’s need to grow and strengthen before coping with the pressures of European football.

Lukaku’s arrival, of course, will likely mean the end of Diego Costa’s time at Stamford Bridge. Conte managed to get a lot of out of the enigmatic striker this year, but he never seemed to fully trust him. Expect Costa to earn a summer move to China or perhaps Atletico Madrid.

Next: Chelsea set to return for familiar transfer target

Romelu Lukaku may not be the perfect striker, but he’ll score plenty of goals for his club. Expect to see in a Chelsea shirt next season.