"A proven goalscorer, not someone they're going to gamble on" - Dean Saunders claims Chelsea would be better off with striker who guarantees goals after failed Richarlison hijack

Former Liverpool striker Dean Saunders believes Chelsea should look to sign Bayern Munich hitman Robert Lewandowski instead of Everton forward Richarlison this summer.

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano reports that Richarlison has joined Tottenham Hotspur in a £50 million deal plus add-ons. However, Chelsea were reportedly looking to hijack Spurs' pursuit of the Brazilian until the striker sealed a move to Antonio Conte's side.

Blues boss Thomas Tuchel is looking to reinforce his attacking options at Stamford Bridge following the departure of Romelu Lukaku, who has rejoined Inter Milan on loan. Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski has been linked with a move to Chelsea since a potential transfer to Barcelona continues to remain uncertain.

Saunders believes the prolific Bayern centre-forward would be a better signing than Richarlison for Tuchel's side.

He told talkSPORT (ChelseaChronicle):

"Lukaku’s gone, what are they going to do? Lewandowski is your man. A proven goalscorer, not someone they’re going to gamble on."

Lewandowski scored an astounding 50 goals in 46 appearances for Bayern last season.

Saunders believes Richarlison would have been more of a gamble for the Blues than the prolific 34-year-old, adding:

“Richarlison is a gamble. You wouldn’t be surprised if he got 15 goals, and you wouldn’t be surprised if he got five. Lewandowski is not, and I think Chelsea need a ready-made [striker], guaranteed goals.”

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Chelsea would pull off a masterstroke by signing Robert Lewandowski

Robert Lewandowski's goalscoring record speaks for itself.

Richarlison impressed for Everton last season, managing 11 goals in 33 appearances and being at the forefront of the Toffees' Premier League survival. However, when it comes to comparing the Brazilian with Bayern's Lewandowski, the latter is in a league of his own.

The former Borussia Dortmund frontman has cemented his legacy as one of Europe's finest ever strikers, boasting an incredible record of 509 goals in 676 career appearances. The Pole also has an abundance of European experience, having won the Champions League in 2020 with Bayern.

Lewandowski finished the 2019/20 campaign as the top scorer in the Champions League with 15 goals and has scored an overall 86 goals in 106 appearances in the competition.

His proven pedigree in Europe's elite club competition would be hugely beneficial to Thomas Tuchel's side and the younger attackers at Stamford Bridge could learn from him.

Alongside his extraordinary success in Europe, he's lifted the Bundesliga title 10 times and finished top scorer seven times in the German league.