"He's not the most gifted" – Steve Nicol offers assessment of 'not natural' Chelsea star

ESPN FC pundit Steve Nicol believes Romelu Lukaku’s profligacy in front of goal should not come as a surprise as the Chelsea forward is not a natural finisher.

The Belgian has come under criticism in recent months as his goals have dried up and performances seem to have dipped.

The Belgian scored the only goal of the game against Al Hilal in the semi-finals of the Club World Cup on Wednesday to end a goalless run of six games.

Nicol, however, came up with a scathing assessment by claiming the Belgian is not a natural in front of goal.

"I don't think we should be shocked that he's not scoring more goals. He's not the most gifted of finishers. I'd probably say his biggest strength is he gets himself in positions where he gets the opportunity to score.

"I don't think he's a natural finisher. Yes, he scores goals, but he's not natural. The chance he had at 0-0 today is a perfect example," Nicol told ESPN.

The Belgian re-joined Chelsea last summer for a club-record £97.5 million from Inter Milan. After scoring in his re-debut against Arsenal and netting a brace a game later against Aston Villa, the forward hasn't been able to justify his hefty price tag. He has drawn blanks against the top sides and has struggled.

Chelsea striker Lukaku will hope to prove some doubters wrong in the second half of the season

After helping his side to the final of the Club World Cup, Lukaku will hope to go on a good goalscoring run in the coming weeks.

The Belgian has struggled for consistency in front of goal, but it must be mentioned that he had a serious injury in the first half of the season.

Then of course there was the infamous interview with the Italian media that led to Thomas Tuchel dropping him.

His injury troubles and the interview are all water under the bridge now as Lukaku will hope to finally put his head down and do well for the team.

Scoring in the final of the Club World Cup against Palmeiras on Saturday would also be a much-needed shot in the arm for the forward.

Winning the Premier League title might be a step too far for Chelsea, but the Blues could still win as many as four trophies in the coming months. They are in the Club World Cup and League Cup final. The FA Cup and Champions League are also up for grabs for the Blues.

Lukaku has netted just nine goals across all competitions for Chelsea this season. He will be hoping to find the same deadly form he displayed for Inter Milan last season and win some silverware for his new club.