Everton fans will be crossing their fingers that the above won't be the case come the end of the season.

Romelu Lukaku has been the Toffees' standout player over the past four seasons, netting 16 times during his debut campaign at Goodison Park - when he was on loan from Premier League leaders Chelsea - and his form earned him a permanent move come the summer.

That move and the big £28m price tag certainly did no harm to his form, as over the next two seasons, the Belgian striker scored 20 then 25 goals as he again showed the Premier League and indeed the world his abilities. This season, that fine form has continued as Lukaku has 17 goals already, and looks on target to beat his best ever total of 25.

While the striker is clearly thriving on Merseyside, form like that does not go unnoticed by Europe's big boys and it's likely there will be interest in him when the season ends.

So if he does part ways with the club, who could be his replacement? They are big boots to fill but we think it could be one of these FIVE...

Michy Batshuayi

Romelu Lukaku back to Chelsea? Well, there certainly isn't room at Stamford Bridge for two young Belgian strikers...

If the move does go ahead, as rumoured, Everton should be looking at Batshuayi as their top priority to replace Lukaku. The ex-Marseille man - signed for a massive £33 million during the summer transfer window - has had little chance to impress at Stamford Bridge, but has excelled when given an opportunity.

It could be a case of Lukaku 2.0 for the Blues if they let him go, however, as a move for first-team football at Goodison Park would only see him thrive and once again leave Chelsea wondering why they let such a talent go to waste.

Christian Benteke

The Belgian national team really don't have a bad bag of forwards to choose from, do they?

Benteke has once again proven his doubters wrong this season, continuing to score an impressive amount of goals (eleven) despite being in an altogether poor Crystal Palace side who look doomed for relegation as things stand.

If Palace do to go down to the Championship, the Belgian will almost certainly leave the club, with his talents far excelling that of those required in the second-tier, so he could be a bargain option should any club want to steal his services.

Abel Hernandez

This may seem an odd one considering the Uruguayan really hasn't hit any sort of form for Hull City in the Premier League this season, however, the striker has recently been rumoured to be a transfer target for the Toffees.

Hernandez has shown glimpses of his talent throughout his career, having had a terrific season with Hull during their promotion campaign of 2015/16, and previously in 2013/14 with former side Palermo. His international form is even more impressive, having notched eleven times in 27 outings for his country.

Consistency is a problem, however, but could Everton help him find it?

Ishak Belfodil

A January transfer target for Everton, Standard Liege striker Ishak Belfodil could be one of those on the club's radar come the summer, especially if Lukaku is to leave Goodison for pastures new. While he is having a decent season this time round, the striker has flopped in former spells at both Inter Milan and Lyon, where he failed to score a single goal for either club. He was also poor for both Parma and Livorno, scoring one goal in a combined 40 appearances for the Serie A sides. Fair to say Belfodil is unlikely to be the man to replace Romelu

While he is having a decent season this time around, the striker has flopped in former spells at both Inter Milan and Lyon. He was also poor for both Parma and Livorno, scoring one goal in a combined 40 appearances for the Serie A sides. Fair to say Belfodil is unlikely to be the man to replace Romelu

It's fair to say Belfodil is unlikely to be the man to replace Lukaku, unless Koeman has seen something the striker the rest of the world has thus far missed.

Oumar Niasse

Big things were expected of Oumar Niasse when he signed for Everton just over a year ago, however, he went AWOL quickly, making only five cameo appearances for the Toffees before disappearing into the realms of non-existence.

His loan move to Hull City, however, has thus far been prosperous, as the striker has scored two goals and been generally impressive for the Tigers as they climb the Premier League table towards safety. It could be a gamble, but if Hull do stay up, Niasse's confidence will be flying high and it would be great to see him take that forward and fulfil his potential with Everton, not to mention it would save them some money!