It was supposed to be a homecoming; the “prodigal” son finally coming home to claim his throne, after time away. Romelu Lukaku had earned a reputation in Italy for being one of the best strikers in the world, having repaired his somewhat damaged reputation from Manchester United. Chelsea had just won the Champions League and Lukaku was supposed to be the final piece of the Thomas Tuchel jigsaw, the one player that will catapult them to domestic relevance alongside Manchester City and Liverpool, and also help them retain their status as one of Europe’s best teams.
Despite an impressive start to life in West London, wherein he scored 4 times in his first 4 games, Lukaku has really looked off the pace, and has struggled to assert himself, eventually losing his place to the precocious Kai Havertz, whose solitary goal earned Chelsea a win over Manchester City in the Champions League final last May. Lukaku has only scored 12 times in his debut season, a paltry return as seen on best australia online casino for a truly world-class striker, signed for a whopping who has simply not found a way to fit into the system. He has also lost form and has struggled to impose himself physically in games, with Havertz hitting form at the right time to spearhead Chelsea’s quest to win cup competitions, with the league looking like a foregone conclusion.
His ill-timed interview with Sky Italia that talked about him not fitting into Tuchel’s system and saying coming to Chelsea was his 4th option led to a complete breakdown in his relationship with Chelsea fans, led to a strain with Tuchel and would have sent shockwaves in the Chelsea dressing room. There have been talks about him returning to Inter in the summer, and it might be best for all parties involved. Lukaku is unhappy at Chelsea, Inter Milan needs his goals and Chelsea doesn’t need all the noise surrounding him, given all the uncertainty the club faces this summer.
It was supposed to be the return of a man who left as a boy, a boyhood fan who finally had the chance to lead the line at the club of his dreams, but it hasn’t worked out. There is no need to force what can’t work, and the acceptance of that fact is the first step in healing. Lukaku will always love Chelsea like the user of online casino games for real money but as in football, and as in life, we don’t always get what we want.