Turns out the grass wasn’t greener on the other side for Romelu Lukaku since returning to the Premier League in the summer of 2021. The former Inter Milan forward has struggled during his second stint with Chelsea so far.
The Belgian’s record for both club and country speak for themselves, and no doubt he has established himself as one of the best strikers in world football.
Sadly, he is having a tough time dealing with injuries and readapting to the EPL, which are adding to his inconsistent performances and one can see he is not completely happy playing under Thomas Tuchel.
Romelu Lukaku has gone six games without scoring for Chelsea ❌❌❌❌❌❌ pic.twitter.com/JH2qhMKvCv
— GOAL (@goal) October 16, 2021
Lukaku saw himself progress through the biggest clubs in the world. After spending two successful seasons at the San Siro, he returned to Chelsea for a second spell but has barely made an impact at Stamford Bridge.
In the early stages of the campaign, the striker started brilliantly. With great enthusiasm, he maintained his goalscoring form but following the strong start, the former Milan striker found it tough to get the ball in the back of the net, drawing blanks more often than not. Adding to his downturn was suffering from a couple of injuries throughout.
Lukaku’s underwhelming time at Stamford Bridge has tainted his reputation so far as to be named potentially the biggest flop of the season. So far, he has only racked up 14 goals in 41 appearances in all competitions. His statistics are decent but as a formidable striker, the numbers are less-credible as per his usual Premier League standards.
Is Chelsea’s Lukaku the worst summer signing?
Lukaku’s lavish and sizeable wage bill requires him to come up with the goods every game. His form at Inter Milan has further pushed expectations.
In an interview with Sky Italia, Lukaku spoke about his situation at Chelsea:
"I think the coach has chosen to play with another system, I just have to not give up and continue to work and be a professional. I am not happy with the situation, but I am a worker and I must not give up.I really hope in the depths of my heart to return to Inter, not at the end of my career, but at a still good level to hopefully win more.(Via: Sky Italia)"
It takes time for a player to adapt to a new league and its system. Chelsea brought Lukaku from Inter Milan for a club-record fee of £97.5 million. The hope now, following an unsuccessful goalscoring campaign, is for him to come good next season and make up for the £97.5m spent on him.
Despite his stats and frequent injuries, Lukaku has a lot to showcase and contribute to Chelsea’s gameplay. Therefore, it is too soon to consider Lukaku as the worst summer signing.
Should Chelsea sell Lukaku and buy a new world-class striker?
Chelsea is one of the biggest football clubs in the game today. They are known for competing for the top honours season in and out.
They also have a strong financial flex and they are not afraid to spend and bring in star talents. Nonetheless, the calls to replace him are premature, especially with them undergoing a change in ownership.
After Lukaku’s controversial interview, his potential exit from Chelsea was said to be on the cards. With the summer transfer window nearing, Tuchel could be keen on exploring new attacking options.
Young talent Armando Borja, who was loaned from Chelsea to Southampton, could get his chance at the club thanks to his impressive performance during his loan spell. He could act as a great backup striker.
The London club has also been heavily linked with FC Barcelona’s winger Ousmane Dembele and Leeds United’s Raphinha. However, none of the players being mentioned are said to be solid options to replace Lukaku.
Sure, Lukaku’s bittersweet comments didn’t sit well with boss Thomas Tuchel but it seems that their relationship has improved over time. I believe he should get another chance and prove himself in the toughest league in the world.