Where does Romelu Lukaku fit in Europe’s striker merry-go-round this summer?

The latest comments from Lukaku point towards a summer exit from Everton, as he cited his desire for Champions League football and trophies for the reasons why he has shunned a new contract.

Nothing new there, given past interviews, but the alarming comments regarding the club’s history suggests that this is a player who wants out, and soon.

There’s no denying that Lukaku is ready to compete on the biggest stage – but at which clubs can he actually be guaranteed a starting place?

Rumours of Alexis Sanchez, Antoine Griezmann, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Diego Costa and Alvaro Morata (to name but five) moving to pastures new means deciphering Lukaku’s next location comes with plenty of ifs and buts…

The Premier League champions-elect are favourites to recapture Lukaku, some three years after Jose Mourinho deemed him surplus to requirements at Chelsea.

And after five seasons of first-team football – the first two of which came on loan at West Brom and Everton respectively – Lukaku would find himself fighting Costa for a starting spot at Stamford Bridge.

Lukaku would have to convince Antonio Conte that he is capable of matching Costa’s tenacity, as there’s little to separate in terms of goal-scoring prowess.

However, should Costa leave for China or elsewhere, the door swings wide open for Lukaku – a place in the starting XI would be his to lose.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic looks set to stay another season at Old Trafford, while Antoine Griezmann joining in the summer seems all but nailed on.

So where would that leave Lukaku? United are second favourites to land the forward, but he would surely arrive at the club third in the pecking order.

It’s also hard to see Mourinho, the man who oversaw his move away from Chelsea, spending big on two strikers. You’d imagine Ibrahimovic has to go for Lukaku to come in, unless the latter is willing to wait a year before securing a regular starting berth.

The above trio have all been linked with Lukaku – but interest will depend on the whereabouts of Alexis Sanchez come August.

Should Sanchez leave Arsenal, it would leave a gap at the Emirates that Lukaku is more than capable of filling – one that he may even thrive in. But should PSG or Juventus land Sanchez, then the losing party may well turn to Lukaku as a decent ‘Plan B’.

When looking at the clubs remaining who can match Lukaku’s Champions League aspirations, there are very few left.

There’s little chance of breaking up the MSN at Barcelona, while Bayern Munich have a healthy array of forwards too.

Then you have the two Madrids. Real may bring in Aubameyang – with Morata and potentially Karim Benzema set to leave – making Atletico the Spanish club most likely to chase Lukaku, especially if Griezmann goes.