Chelsea’s lack of foresight in the recent past as far as failing to retain some of the extraordinary football talents at their helm continues to haunt them till date. At the moment, 38 Chelsea players are scattered across Europe and South America on loan, and keeping tabs on them all won’t be an easy job.
A few seasons ago, despite showing a glimpse of his goalscoring prowess, the Blues failed to tie down the services of Everton striker Romelu Lukaku at the Stamford Bridge. Rather, they hastily chose to cash-in on the Belgium international for a measly £28million in 2014, and that decision remains the club’s biggest mistake.
The west London side has since tried to bring the 23-year-old, who has scored a whopping 66 league goals back to the Bridge to no avail. A brick wall is being met every time an attempt is made. The latest being a purported move to activate Romelu Lukaku’s £56million release clause in the last summer transfer window.
Why is Chelsea willing to pay through their nose to bring the Belgium international back just 2 years following his departure?
Since his first season-long loan away from the club at West Brom a year after arriving from Anderlecht for £10million on a 5-year deal in 2011, Lukaku has performed consistently well for everyone, except Chelsea to see. Despite just being in his 2nd season in the EPL, the then 19-year-old Lukaku bagged 17 league goals for West Brom – the 6th highest for the season, outscoring all of his Chelsea teammates in the process.
It looked like a one-off achievement in front of goal for him, and Chelsea still weren’t convinced of his qualities as they loaned him out yet again for another season, this time to Everton. Not one to rest on his oars, Romelu Lukaku continued to prove his keen eye for goals at the Goodison Park, landing 15 league goals for the Merseysiders. His contributions earned Roberto Martinez’s side 72 points, and saw them finish 5th – their highest ever on the log at the end of a season.
These rare and extraordinary achievements in 2 seasons away from his parent club weren’t good enough to earn Lukaku a permanent recall, with Jose Mourinho preferring Ba and Torres, both of whom didn’t score more goals than the youngster in the 2 seasons to him. And it was in that summer Chelsea made their biggest mistake as they let him go having considered him not good enough for the club.
Since he has gone for good, Romelu Lukaku has scored 34 goals and created 100 chances in 80 EPL appearances. Coming from a player who was never given a chance to prove himself, these numbers are eye-watering, and as he continues being Everton’s gain and most-prized possession, he remains Chelsea’s biggest and mistake.
The club would have never fallen off the top if Romelu Lukaku were to still be within their ranks last term, and as the rebuilding process continues under Conte, it can only be imagined how completely fearsome the club would have been in attack with him present.