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Chelsea signed Romelu Lukaku from Inter Milan last summer with the hope that he would be the last piece in the jigsaw puzzle. The Blues were determined to bring the Premier League title back to Stamford Bridge, with only Manchester City & Liverpool vying for the trophy in the last four years. But things did not pan out that way as the West London club finished 3rd in the table, 19 points off Pep Guardiola & co.
A major reason behind their inability to challenge for the league was Lukaku's lackluster season. The Belgian striker did suffer with injuries and Covid-19 during this period, but he never managed to turn things around. He is now reportedly vying to move back to Inter Milan, and Thomas Tuchel has to make a massive decision. Although letting him leave has its positives, it might not be the best option for the centre-forward to leave.
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On that note, let's first take a look at 3 reasons why Chelsea should let Lukaku leave this summer.
#1 Lukaku does not suit Thomas Tuchel's system
The striker was signed by the Blues with the intention of leading the line and scoring goals week-after-week. In the first few weeks, things were clicking for the Belgian international as he was gelling well with Mason Mount and Kai Havertz, not to mention the wing-backs as well.
However, after scoring 4 goals in his first 4 games, Lukaku went through a dry spell before getting injured for six weeks. The rest of the season had a similar pattern as the Belgian international would never be on the same wavelength as his teammates.
Hence, Tuchel often used Kai Havertz in the second half of the campaign as he excelled in linking up play and coming deep to collect the ball. The German ace would also track back and was great in transitions. Lukaku never showcased any of these qualities, and the same was depicted in the 2-1 victory against Crystal Palace in February, when he only had 7 touches.
Tuchel certainly likes his centre-forward to be more active and the 29-year-old forward is not fitting the bill at the moment. It might just be better to let him leave in the summer as he does not look comfortable in Chelsea's current system.
#2 On the verge of becoming a bad apple in the dressing room
Following his disastrous interview with Sky Italia in December 2021, Lukaku failed to have a positive impact for Chelsea. He was put on the bench for the majority of the second half of the campaign, although he did have a decent end to the season.
Moreover, Tuchel's treatment of him was justified as the striker was not scoring goals and was even acting as a liability at times. But if the German manager continues to prefer others over the former Inter Milan ace, it might not be long before the centre-forward becomes a bad apple in the dressing room.
Nobody wants a negative influence in the locker room, least of all Chelsea, who had a tumultuous end to the season following the sanctions placed on the club. With multiple leaders like Antonio Rudiger and Cesar Azpilicueta already having left or on the verge of leaving, the Blues need positivity in the squad.
The last thing Tuchel needs is an unhappy player on big wages at the club, courtesy of which, it might be best to let him leave while they still can.
#3 Will free up room for Chelsea to sign another striker
Following the 2021/22 season, it is clear that there are obvious differences between how Tuchel wants Lukaku to play and how the striker prefers to play. Hence, it is certainly looking like a bad marriage and Chelsea might prefer resolving this before it is too late.
The German manager has proved that he can help the Blues win big trophies. But if he is to do so, he shall need strikers of his preference to play in his team. Hence, letting the Belgian ace might enable the club to look into the transfer market for a new attacker. Christopher Nkunku and Lautaro Martinez are reportedly some of the options the club are interested in.
Hence, Chelsea might be better off signing a new player and letting the 29-year-old striker leave the club this summer. This might free up room in their wages to go on and bring in a player who would be a smart fit for the team.
Although letting Lukaku leave is an intriguing prospect, it might also bode well for Chelsea to keep him at the club next season.
On that note, let's take a look at 2 reasons why Chelsea should not let Lukaku leave this summer.
#1 You cannot argue against Romelu Lukaku's ability to be a goalscorer and matchwinner
For all the negativity surrounding him, Lukaku is an incredible frontman who can be the best centre-forward on his day. His hold-up play is astute, as is his ability to dominate aerial battles. The Belgian showcased all of this in the opening weeks of last season against teams like Arsenal, Liverpool, Aston Villa & Tottenham Hotspur.
Although the following weeks did not go according to plan, the striker ended the season on a high note by scoring 3 goals in his last 3 league games. The former Inter Milan star also ended the season as the club's highest goal-scorer across all competitions, with 15 strikes to his name.
Lukaku will also have a complete pre-season under his belt term, which might help Tuchel bed him into the system and work on his game. Hence, while it is not the most popular opinion at the moment, it might just benefit Chelsea to keep their most expensive signing at the club next season.
#2 Chelsea could face a huge loss by letting Lukaku leave this summer
As mentioned earlier, Lukaku arrived at Stamford Bridge last season as the second most expensive signing in Premier League history. The Blues had expected this investment to pay off rich dividends.
While that has not been the case, letting him leave in the summer might be a bad financial decision by the club. It has been widely reported that the striker could leave the West London side on a loan deal and a permanent move is not on the cards.
Although churning out a big loan fee for him is not a bad decision, it is going to be hard for the club to recoup the £97.5 million they paid for him last summer. There have also been no links to any clubs who are willing to pay even 3/4th of that amount for the striker, let alone the entire figure.
To make things worse, Lukaku is already 29 and will only get older, and his value is likely to depreciate. Hence, any future move for the player will mean that Chelsea might have to bear a massive loss. With the new ownership keen on not wrecking the boat early on, it might be better to keep the centre-forward at the club.
