A quick glance at Chelsea’s goal tally in the Premier League this season and you’ll soon see just why boss Thomas Tuchel will be asking the Blues’ recruitment team to purchase a world class striker this summer.

Seven teams, including West Ham United and newly promoted Leeds United, have bettered Chelsea’s forty-four league goals so far this term.

Striker Tammy Abraham and defensive midfielder Jorginho are the club’s joint top scorers with six Premier League goals apiece. That’s an atrocious stat for any side that wants to challenge for major honours!

The London giants paid a big fee to bring in German international forward Timo Werner (Source Goal.com) last year but alas the former RB Leipzig man has just five strikes to his name.

Now there’s talk that Tuchel wants to swap Werner for Borussia Dortmund hotshot Erling Haaland (Via The Sun).

That would be a sensational deal, Haaland is well on his way to become one of the world’s best marksmen. The Norwegian has bagged twenty-one goals in as many Bundesliga appearances. He’s also hit the net a whopping ten times in just six Champions League outings!

The only issue is that in that kind of form every European superpower will want his services.

The Mirror claims that Real Madrid want to buy both Haaland and Kylian Mbappe during the next transfer window. Meanwhile Si.com have stated that Manchester City are active suitors. Sportslens are also reporting that FC Barcelona want the Norway international to replace Lionel Messi (If the Argentine decides to leave Barca).

So let’s say one of Europe’s other top clubs gets their hands on soon to be global superstar Haaland, Chelsea need to have a different option to turn to in the transfer market.

They should probably look no further than former Chelsea hitman Romelu Lukaku.

Then Belgian was always earmarked to lead the line at Stamford Bridge. It just didn’t work out first time around, mainly because then manager Jose Mourinho didn’t have the patience to let the forward develop in West London.

Apart from at The Blues, Lukaku has been a scorer at every other club that he’s represented. I include Manchester United in that, his record of twenty-eight league goals in sixty-six games isn’t bad when you consider how United misused him.

He departed Old Trafford in 2019 and hasn’t looked back since his move to Inter Milan.

The all-round forward has whacked in a stupendously impressive fifty-nine strikes in just eighty-five appearances.

The twenty-seven year old has looked a different player and has gone up to another level.

He has no issues bullying defences with his power or coming from deep and beating opponents with his electric pace. Lukaku also possesses wonderful close control and this allows him to create space and avoid challenges when he’s inside the oppositions penalty area.

As a striker Romelu is definitely that type who loves nothing better than seeing the ball hit the back of the net. If that’s via a tap-in great, or by a well struck shot then that’s great too.

At twenty-seven, he is only just hitting what should be his peak years. Yet he has already struck 246 club goals!

If Inter were to win the Scudetto this season and there’s a strong possibility that that will happen, then maybe the Belgian international goal-getter will believe that his job there is done.

Romelu may also believe that he has unfinished business at Stamford Bridge. He only made ten league appearances there and failed to score for The Blues. A move back there could right that wrong.

Before his original move to Chelsea, Lukaku stated:

“Chelsea is my favourite team.”

“I have always said it and I have never hidden it”

Via ESPN

Could the Premier League giants pull at his heart strings again and re-sign Romelu Lukaku?

Well you wouldn’t be surprised if he were on their potential shortlist. They need goals and very few in Europe are as proven in that regard as the Belgian star. He would certainly give The Blues a formidable focal point to their team and he could actually work well with Werner, if Timo stays at the club.

The striker himself might be eager to prove himself at the one place that it didn’t work out for him. He knows the league and would like to show everyone in England just how good he really is.

Yet I feel Antonio Conte and Inter will hold a lot of the answers. If Conte wants to keep him and Inter can afford to turn down bids, then I can only see him staying in Italy for another season. Conte moved heaven and earth to bring Lukaku and he has coaxed the very best out of the sensational goalscorer. I don’t see Romelu forgetting that and pushing for a transfer, unless it suits all sides.

It’s definitely an intriguing deal to watch out for this summer.

Posted on March 29th, 2021 by scott
Filed under: Article