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Chelsea made a huge statement in the transfer window with the signing of Romelu Lukaku on a club-record deal last summer. The 2020-21 Champions League winners were desperate to recruit a proven goal-scorer this summer and Lukaku fits the bill perfectly.
Since leaving Chelsea on a permanent deal in 2014, the Belgian matured into an efficient centre-forward capable of tormenting defenses at will. His performances at Inter were eye-catching and prompted Chelsea into securing his services. However, Lukaku has not set the stage on fire following his return to Stamford Bridge.
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If scoring just eight goals from 26 appearances in the Premier League was not enough, Lukaku further added to the frustration of Chelsea fans following a controversial interview.
In the wake of his comments and drop in form, the 29-year-old has been linked with a return to Inter. But for now, he continues to remain at the top of this list.
Over the years, there have been several instances of players returning to former clubs on record transfers.
Without further delay, let's take a closer look at the five players who returned to their former clubs in record-deals:
#5 Don Hutchison (West Ham United)
Don Hutchison arrived at West Ham for the first time as one of Harry Redknapp's signings back in 1994. The midfielder scored on debut for the Hammers but did not establish himself as a regular owing to his poor disciplinary record and questionable attitude off the pitch.
After just two seasons in east London, Hutchison was shipped out to Sheffield United. The former Scotland international then revived his career and enjoyed spells at Everton and Sunderland.
Although Hutchison's performances tempted West Ham to fork out a then club-record fee of £5 million to re-sign him, he was unable to enjoy considerable success upon return. Just six months after the move in 2001, Hutchison suffered an ACL injury and endured a severe decline.
Notably, his time as a club-record signing was brief, with the Hammers breaking the transfer record in the same window for Czech Republic defender Tomas Repka.
Hutchison spent four years with the Hammers after briefly becoming one of their record transfers, but eventually moved on to the lower leagues in England. The Scot is the perfect example of how record transfers to former clubs don't always work in the players' favor. He retired in 2008 after a stint at Luton Town.
#4 Graeme Le Saux (Chelsea)
If there is anyone Lukaku needs to draw inspiration from ahead of his return to Chelsea, then it is Graeme Le Saux. The full-back, who came up through the ranks at Stamford Bridge, spent four years in his first stint with the club before leaving for Blackburn Rovers.
Le Saux raised his stock further by being ever-present with Blackburn, who finished second in his first season and then won the Premier League the following year. Chelsea eventually came calling for his services in 1997, when they made Le Saux the most expensive defender in English football at the time.
Upon returning to familiar surroundings in a record transfer, Le Saux lived up to his £5 million price-tag by adding several trophies to his cabinet. The Englishman was unlucky to miss the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup final in 1998 and the FA Cup final two years later.
However, Le Saux's contributions in the early stages of both the competitions will always be remembered as Chelsea went on to win the aforementioned trophies.
Notably, the defender had a reputation for being hot-headed. a trait that Lukaku will not want to draw parallels with at Stamford Bridge.
#3 Nicolas Anelka (Paris Saint-Germain)
Nicolas Anelka also features on our list of players returning to former clubs on record transfers. The Frenchman represented as many as 12 different sides during his 19-year-long senior career.
Starting off at Paris Saint-Germain, Anelka emerged as an exciting prospect, drawing the attention of Arsene Wenger at Arsenal. The striker moved to north London at the age of 17 and eventually established himself in the Arsenal side during his second season at Highbury.
Anelka was the Gunners' top-scorer in the 1998-99 season after netting 17 goals, sparking interest from Real Madrid. Following his switch to Spain, Anelka never really settled down and even had a fall-out with manager Vicente del Bosque.
'Le Sulk', as he was famously addressed, felt left out in Madrid and waited seven months to find his first league goal. Despite his severe decline, Paris Saint-Germain decided to take a chance with Anelka in 2000 and re-signed him on a then-record transfer worth around £22m.
Although the move was celebrated in Paris, it never really went according to the script. Anelka was named captain of the side, but failed to hit the ground running and Paris Saint-Germain went from finishing second the previous season to ninth in his first.
Eventually, Anelka left PSG for good and moved to the Premier League, where he represented Liverpool (loan), Manchester City and Chelsea. There were also spells in Turkey and China with Fenerbahce and Shanghai Shenhua. The striker called time on his playing career after plying his trade in India with Mumbai City FC in 2015.
#2 Paul Pogba (Manchester United)
Manchester United grabbed all the headlines in 2016, when they announced that former academy graduate Paul Pogba would return to the club on a record transfer.
Back then, the £89m paid for him was the highest ever transfer fee paid in exchange for the services of a player. After arriving at Old Trafford, Pogba quickly became a divisive figure. At times, the French midfielder looked the part, justifying his status as a record-signing.
However, there have also been instances when Pogba was labeled as someone who criminally underperforms for Manchester United. Add that to the persistent rumors surrounding his future and it is safe to say he never failed to make the headlines for the wrong reasons.
Pogba began the 2021-22 Premier League season in style. The midfielder notched up four assists, one more than he managed in the entirety of the previous season, during Manchester United's 5-1 win over bitter-rivals Leeds United.
However, the Red Devils endured a forgetful campaign, where they finished with their lowest ever points tally in a Premier League season. United also sacked Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and could only finish sixth under interim boss Ralf Rangnick.
Pogba is set to leave Manchester United at the end of this month, following the expiry of his contract.
#1 Romelu Lukaku (Chelsea)
No surprises here. Romelu Lukaku tops the list after becoming Chelsea's club-record signing last summer. The Belgian first arrived at Stamford Bridge from Anderlecht back in 2011.
Despite being on the books at Chelsea for three years, Lukaku was unable to force his way into the first team. However, he impressed on loan at West Bromwich Albion and Everton, who later signed him permanently.
After spending three prolific years on Merseyside with Everton, Chelsea were linked with re-signing him in 2017. However, rivals Manchester United managed to snap him up as Chelsea settled for Alvaro Morata instead.
By his lofty standards, Lukaku did not set the stage on fire at Old Trafford and was eventually offloaded to Serie A. That proved to be a massive turning point in his career as he rekindled his destructive form with Inter in Italy.
Lukaku netted 30 goals and registered 10 assists in all competitions as Inter went on to lift the Serie A title after 11 years. Although the 29-year-old may have felt life had come in full circle after Chelsea snapped him up in a mammoth £97.5m deal, the move has not worked in his favor.
After a disappointing season, Lukaku is now being linked with a move away from Chelsea.
