We take a look at the options for Romelu Lukaku, who looks set to leave Chelsea this summer.
It looks certain to be a big summer for Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku, who continues to be linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge, particularly after a disappointing set of displays for Belgium at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Lukaku was sent out on loan last season and enjoyed a fruitful campaign for Everton, where he was one of the Premier League’s most impressive centre forwards, but even this does not seem to have convinced Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho that he is worth persevering with for the West London club.
His goalscoring record for Anderlecht, West Bromwich Albion and Everton, either side of his move to Stamford Bridge, means that Lukaku is not going to be short of potential options if he does end up leaving the club, so we’ve analysed the potential options for the 21 year-old.
Chelsea
Whilst a move away does continue to look more and more likely, Lukaku is still a Chelsea player and it is far from inconceivable that he will remain at Stamford Bridge beyond the end of this transfer window.
Despite the signing of Diego Costa, the futures of Fernando Torres and Demba Ba remain uncertain, meaning that Lukaku could in fact find himself as the second most senior striker at the club come the end of the summer, with Samuel Eto’o already having been released.
However, it seems to be Lukaku’s all-round game and inability to play with his back to goal that particularly concerns Mourinho, meaning that he may prove to be ill-fitting as backup for Spanish international Costa.
Despite the former Atletico Madrid man’s stunning goalscoring record in La Liga, his ability to hold the ball up and bring others in to play remains underdeveloped, as was so noticeably exposed as he ploughed a lone furrow in attack during Spain’s ill-fated World Cup campaign.
With this in mind, Chelsea are likely to want a second choice forward who offers more of an alternative to Costa then the Belgian, but it is certainly not out of the question that the club will view Lukaku as well worth having around the club if no one else is willing to meet their valuation of the player.
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