Whether in the summer of 2017 or 2018, Romelu Lukaku is going to be leaving Everton.

He has decided against signing a new contract with the Merseyside club and it is surely most likely that the Toffees will cash in on their Belgian striker before his current deal expires. The Premier League’s current leading goal scorer has been brilliant this season once again and could be sold for a near world record fee.

Other forwards signed by Everton of late have hardly worked out, so their following recruitment should Lukaku leave the club will need to be absolutely spot on. As tough as it may be to take for Ronald Koeman, Lukaku is not irreplaceable and there are plenty of players that will be available considering how much revenue he will generate.

Everton have strong financial backing now, which opens up endless options. Strikers can be notoriously patchy in form and streaky in their goal scoring, making the decision to sign a player all the more challenging.

Michy Batshuayi

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Replacing the departing Lukaku with a fellow Belgian in Michy Batshuayi would make sense for everyone. Batshuayi is out of favour under Antonio Conte at Chelsea and cannot afford to have another season of one-minute cameos, the odd cup outing and hours spent warming up on the touchline.

In fledgeling performances earlier in the season, however, Batshuayi showed what he is capable of. Like Lukaku, he has pace, power and is a natural finisher. His record prior to his move to Chelsea – 77 goals in 198 club matches – speaks for itself.

Andre Silva

Porto’s 21-year-old striker has it all. He can score – he’s done so 15 times in 25 league matches this season - he can head, he can link up play, he can run beyond and he can dribble. The Portuguese giants will not let him go without a fight, though, and understandably so.

Few players at his age possess all the components you want from a striker. Standing at 182cm tall, his physical condition is no issue either. He may not have the brute strength of Lukaku, but Silva has all the credentials and goal scoring capabilities to become one of the world’s best strikers.

Luis Muriel

Muriel is not the same type of striker as Romelu Lukaku, but the Colombian has come of age for Sampdoria this season and could be ready to take a further step forwards in his career.

He possesses lightning pace and quick, skilful feet that make him a dangerous ball carrier and a great initiator of counter-attacks.

Having found the net 10 times in Serie A this season, Muriel – who is still only 25 – has scored more than he has in a league season since 2012/13 for Udinese.

A player who will only improve from this point, Muriel would be able to interchange freely with Ross Barkley and Kevin Mirallas, perhaps making Everton even harder to stop in possession.